


Fifty Shades of Queen

by queencestqueen



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, BDSM, F/M, Incest, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 41,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3514595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queencestqueen/pseuds/queencestqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Season One AU] That island changed Oliver Queen, changed what he needed from life. Thea Queen didn’t know what was going on with him, but she knew she needed to find out. He was a mystery that she was intent upon solving no matter what it took. But when she finally figures it out everything she has ever known will change. Is she ready for his reality?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 01

**Author's Note:**

> **Dedicated to:** my Queencest soulmate, J and the ever encouraging familiarattraction!
> 
>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by **Fifty Shades Of Grey**.  
>  \- Italicized words are flashbacks and bold are Thea's thoughts.  
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It didn't take long for Thea to start noticing that something was going on with her brother, but, to be fair, it had never taken her long to note changes in Oliver. She was just always observant that way especially when it came to him. In fact, when she looked back on it, she'd even notice something in the moment of their first reunion. She blamed her ignorance on her giddiness to have him home again.

_Thea stood at the top of the stairs, keeping hidden around the corner, just listening. Her mother and stepfather's voices drifted up, but she didn't pay their words any mind. It was his words that captured her attention, his voice that stuck in her ears. It had been so long since she had heard that voice outside of her dreams. The sound washed over her like a soothing balm and Thea knew that she could wait no longer. She had to see him with her own two eyes. Only then would it be real. Only then would he truly be home._

_She walked around the edge of the stairs on light feet until she stood at the top. Before she even had time to consider how this should happen, Oliver was stopping at the bottom of the stairs._ _**How did he know I was here?** _

" _Hey, sis." He said softly with a small smile as he looked up at her. His blue eyes shined with a restrained happiness and something…something she couldn't identify, but she had not cared to try. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, real, alive and there. Really, truly there. Her breathing picked up as she ran down the steps._

" _I knew it. I knew you were alive."_

_She wrapped her arms about his shoulders and held on tight. His solid weight was a physical reminder that this wasn't just another dream. It was actually happening. He was actually here; actually home. It felt like a missing piece of herself was finally back. She was on her way back to being whole, being real again. "I missed you so much." It was a whisper meant only for his ears. She smiled into his shoulder as she squeezed him ever so slightly closer and surrounded herself in his scent._

" _You were with me the whole time." His tone was equally as soft as hers when he spoke and she could hear the smile in his voice._ _ **Home, finally.**_

The unidentifiable something in his eyes that day hadn't registered then, but it was the first clue to the puzzle that was her brother, but it wasn't the only piece. There was also the way that he looked at her.

_Dinner was a taxing chore that night and, though Thea had started the meal willing to play the same game as everyone else, she had quickly grown bored of pretending. It wasn't until Tommy began to list off all that Oliver had missed that she snapped. It was ludicrous that everyone acting as though it was a normal night, like Oliver had merely been away at a resort or something for a long weekend. The silence that was the mind-numbing chatter of Tommy's conversation was simply too much to take any longer. Before he could choose another topic of discussion, Thea cut in, speaking up where everyone else was afraid to._

" _What was it like there?"_

_All of the sudden, the entire room was tense and silence rang out, loud in the absence of any movement or rustling from the table's occupants. Thea, however, barely noticed any of that. How could she when her brother turned to look at her like that?_ _**There's something different in his eyes.** _ _Inexplicably, she felt as though she'd done wrong by asking the question and her stomach squirmed in worry._

" _Cold." It was a simple answer, vague beyond reason really and Thea wasn't one to let things go, not when she really wanted to know, but the look in his eyes kept her from inquiring further. She smiled at Tommy as he once more took the reins of the conversation and steered them back to inane territory. Yet, she couldn't forget the something she'd noticed or the feeling of unease they'd inspired in her._

It wasn't just odd feelings and unusual looks that he gave her either; eventually, it was in what he said…or rather what he said, but meant for no one to overhear.

" _My, how we are moving up in the criminal world." Thea stood slowly, letting the kinks in her back stretch out as she did so. They been through this over and over again and it always turned out the same. Nothing ever changed with her mother because the older woman didn't care, not like she should anyway. It used to bug Thea when she was younger, but now she was used to it. Hell, she'd been living this way for five years and, in all honesty, it was kind of fun to be able to do whatever she wanted._

" _You know, when you pay off the store owner, you should check out the merchandise. They got some pretty killer outfits." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was aware that she was pushing the whole bitchy brat façade to its limit, but it wasn't like her mother was going to dig any deeper. No one cared who Thea really was so why not be what everyone expected her to be? It was just easier that way._

" _Thea, go get ready for school."_

_Yeah, that wasn't happening. She'd been out all night, trying to keep her 'friends' from doing anything super outrageous, like setting a fire for the hell of it that would have burned down that whole shopping complex, and she was utterly exhausted. Luckily for her, she knew how to play this expertly. "Uh, you know, I was thinking of taking a sick day."_

_There was a moment or two of silence as her mother decided whether or not to waste energy on her wayward daughter. "Fine then go get some sleep." Thea smiled as she turned away from her mother and headed out of the room._

_However, just as she was about to step around her brother who she noted had his hands clenched at his sides, she couldn't resist one last jab at him. After all, she had to figure out how close he was to becoming like their mother._ _**Should I waste my time trying to make him care, trying to make him see me, or is he as lost a cause as all the rest?** _ _"You look like crap." She commented idly with a self-satisfied grin. She stepped around him, only avoiding touching him because he had turned slightly after she'd been excused to her bedroom. It was then that he said it, so softly that if she hadn't been so close she might not have heard him._

" _If you were mine…" She froze for a half second before she decided that she must have missed heard him._ _ **After all that half sentence didn't make any sense.**_

That wasn't the only time she heard it that day either.

_If Thea hadn't been high, she never would have thought it was a good idea to go talk to Oliver in the club. It was his fault she was grounded, after all. But Thea was floating thanks to the Cloud 9 she'd scored twenty minutes earlier so she wasn't really concerned with smart moves. He was her brother and she wanted to talk to him! God, did she ever want to talk to him!_

_With the desire to do so flooding her system at a rapid pace, Thea skipped across the room over to him. He seemed to glow under the blue lights of the club and for a second, a pout flitted across her face. She never glowed like that! Never commanded attention like he did. She never stole anyone's breath like he stole hers._ _**How is that fair?** _

" _Big brother!" She shouted as the pout faded and she held onto his shoulder. Physical contact was the best way she'd found to distinguish real people from their drug induced doubles anyway. "Oh! I am so wasted right now. There is…there is two of you." She slurred, pointing at him as if he would not know who he was. Maybe he didn't though. There was something seriously off about him these days and Thea…_ _ **oh, I want so badly to know**_ _._

" _I thought you were grounded." His face was incredibly endearing as he said that, his tone so confused, that she was almost tempted to forgive him for convincing their mother to 'ground' her. Almost. But even the drug couldn't erase the hurt she had felt at being so betrayed. Once upon the two of them had shared nearly everything. Oliver had known all of her secrets and been her best friend and now…_

" _I am," she said simply, head tipping slightly back as she continued to point in his direction for no reason at all. "And thank you for that, by the way." How could he have just given her up like that? What happened to keeping each other's secrets and all that shit they used to agree to? Hell, she'd kept more secrets for him then the CIA kept for the President when she was younger. Once she'd even let him hide his stash among her teddy bears when he'd been given an ultimatum. Yet he'd turned her over to their mom without a thought._ _ **What the hell?**_

_Her answer wasn't the right one apparently because, as she watched, his expression closed off and he stepped closer into her space. It was his words though that really pissed her off. "You're done for the night." So absolute…like he ruled her or something?_ _**Hell no! This is my life, damn it! He can't come in here and demand I be someone I'm not!** _

" _Oh," she said, "what are you going to do? Tell mom?"_

" _Thea!" His expression was utterly frustrated, which yes she did take a perverse pleasure in. At least now, he had a taste of his own medicine. She'd been frustrated trying to figure him out for three weeks now. He gritted his teeth and suddenly his expression chilled. "You are hanging with the wrong people."_

_Thea was a bit disappointed. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he would have said._ _**Why is it so difficult for him to be honest with me? For that matter, why was it so difficult for me to get people to care? Am I really the spare that no one needs?** _ _She shook off that thought because it was too deep a rabbit-hole to go down._

_Instead, she laughed a little at his words, Cloud 9 making it easier to focus on the amusement instead of the creeping sadness. "You're one to talk." Thea countered because it was so obvious, "How much do you know about your own so-called friends over here?"_

_Tommy interrupted then and she really should have seen that coming. He didn't deal in awkward confrontation very well. Of course, he didn't want their torrid secret coming out. But Thea was tired of this. Tired of being prosecuted for being like Oliver once was. Tired of being judged._ _**So what if I get high? So what if I drink? So what if I break into stores? It is not like it matters! All I want is some relief…what is so wrong with that?** _

" _Tommy," Thea cut him off, "I think your BFF has a right to know." Her tone was soft, but her words were biting and she was oddly pleased at the uncomfortable look that Laurel sported. It served her right for being so…_

" _Thea," Oliver interceded suddenly and her attention was back on him, "let's go."_

" _Well, I guess they never told you," Her face bore and expression of mock sympathy, but her tone was sincere. She'd never approved of Tommy and Laurel's relationship and she'd never made any secret of that. In her eyes, the two of them being fuck buddies was a betrayal of her brother. No arguments that Tommy or Laurel had posed had changed her mind on that. She didn't care if they believed he was dead or that he'd cheated on Laurel with Sara. Thea was loyal to her brother…even if, as it turned out, that loyalty was not returned. "that they've been screwing," There was extra emphasis on the final word, spewing the hatred she felt with them over it in one singular term, "while you were gone."_

_There was no outrage on his face or upset or anything she expected. In fact, for a few seconds, it was like Laurel and Tommy didn't even exist. Oliver's blue eyes were locked on hers and Thea couldn't breathe under such intense focus. She broke the odd moment by turning to Laurel, shooting her a look that Thea thought the elder woman deserved for treating Thea's two favorite men like party favors._ _**It isn't right, damn it.** _

" _Look man, I-"_

_Oliver cut off Tommy's apology before it could even truly begin. It was a shame too; Thea kind of wanted to hear what Tommy would say to explain his actions away. Quickly Oliver turned back to face her and she turned up her glare._ _**Doesn't he care about anything?** _

" _You and me," he said, gesturing between them as if she were unaware of who was whom._ _ **I'm not that high. Damn.**_ _"We're done for the night." He grabbed her arm then and started to pull her out of the club._ _ **Who does he think he is? Walking around, pretending to give a damn about me when I know he doesn't?**_

" _Take your hands off of me." She hissed, pulling her arm out of his grip and shoving him with her other hand. The hair on the back of her neck stood up again, screaming at her to be weary, but she was far too pissed off for that. "You're not my father." She reminded him, biting the words off angrily, "And you're barely my brother." She said as they stood shoulder to shoulder._

_Before she could take more than two steps away from the silent group of friends, Oliver was back again, his hand tighter on her arm then it was previously thus forcing her to abandon her rather spectacular dramatic exit. The beat of the music was loud enough to cover whatever he was about to say from being overheard and hissed in her ear, "If you were mine…" Without elaborating any further he released her arm and she stumbled away, mystified and oddly conscious of everything._ _**What did that mean?** _

After that it was just a bunch of little things. He was never home and, when he was, he was evasive and quiet. After a while though, Thea couldn't explain it away anymore. Something had to be done. **I have to know.**


	2. Chapter 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- As you may have guessed this is an AU vaguely inspired by Fifty Shades Of Grey.  
> \- Italicized words are flashbacks and bold are Thea's thoughts.  
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**He's acting odd** , that was Thea's sole justification for following him. He was acting odd. At first, she'd simply chalked his strange behavior up to a period of adjustment for him. She'd reasoned that it must be so strange to be surrounded by people one knows and yet they seem like acquaintances at best. Very awkward indeed. It made sense then he would be so quiet in small groups, where the best way to blend in is to fade out. It was all very understandable...until he started acting odd on top of it.

It was about a month after he was returned to them that he started going out late and coming home in the early hours of the morning. Her initial assumption was that he had simply returned to the ways of the rich club kid. She couldn't really fault him for that because that was her scene too. However, after a few nights out herself, Thea'd failed to come across him at any of the popular hangouts. The final nail in the partier theory came when they happened to cross paths after a night out. His hands had borne none of the telltale stamps from any club; the backs of her own left hand was marked with three unique stamps. He also didn't smell of any type of liquor, which was a clubbing trademark for him back in the day. She had distinct, rather unpleasant, memories of him stumbling into the mansion in the wee hours and her going to investigate the noise only to have him pat her head and tell her to go back to bed.

Bumping into him in the kitchen that night might have dashed the party-boy theory, but also provided notable clues. Granted she didn't notice them until she thought back on it after a few hours sleep, four aspirin and a hot shower, but still. His shirt was messed up and not in an I've-been-out-doing-something kind of way. No, the way the garment was wrinkled told her that he'd had sex, or at the very least, got extremely close to sex. Then there was the smell of overpowering synthetic lilies. Not the mix of scents that might transfer while dancing or doing something group related; no, he'd spent his evening up close and personal with a single woman.

**But who?** That was the question and Thea wanted to know. After a while, it became necessary to know. This mysterious woman called him away at all hours and he just went without a thought. She kept her eyes open and her ears alert when he was around hoping for any clue at all. But Oliver was smart and he didn't slip up, which was utterly frustrating for her and thus why she'd been forced to such devious actions like following him.

Thea slunk down in the seat of the Towne Car she'd borrowed from their family garage and watched as he pulled open the door to the warehouse and went inside. Once it shut behind him, she sat up straight in the car and looked around. **Well, this is weird. Who summons a booty-call in the warehouse district? Could it actually be drugs?** Thea looked up at the building's front as she climbed out of the car, unsurprised to find Queen Consolidated painted there. It didn't clear anything up, but it made an odd sort of sense.

She froze as her hand came to rest upon the handle. **What am I doing? Following Oliver like a creeper? What the hell am I doing?** She shook her head and dropped her hand _ **.**_ **It is ridiculous, really. He deserves his privacy.** Yet, she couldn't convince her feet to move away. He deserves his privacy, true, but Thea needed to know. **Who is more deserving of his attention then me?** She blinked. **Then us** , she corrected with a slight flinch, reaching for the handle again with renewed determination. She had to know!

The door didn't squeak as she pulled on it. A quick look around through the slight opening between the heavy door and its jam confirmed that Oliver was nowhere in the room. She stepped cautiously inside, aware that if Oliver caught her, she'd have no reasonable explanation for her being there. It's not like she could say, hey, yeah I followed you, because that was just creepy.

Her eyes swept over the large yet empty room surprised to find that there was clearly work being done to it. **He wasn't kidding** , Thea thought, as she walked carefully around the wood planks and tools littering the floor, **this is gonna be a club?** She was skeptical that her brother was actually going to finish the project. She walked up to one of the numerous tables in the middle of the room, thumbing the blueprints as she idly flipped through them. The labels at the bottom of the pages told her what the diagrams were for: main floor, bar, second floor walkway, office, storage room. She didn't know how to read the blueprints exactly, but she could make out enough to understand the basics.

With no obvious signs of Oliver on the main floor, Thea climbed the stairs to the partial second floor walkway. She kept her back to the wall as she moved because there was no railing and falling off would be...unpleasant. She reached out and took ahold of the door handle to the only room off of the walkway. It was locked. **Damn.** She sighed as she leaned back against the wall next to the door. After a few silent seconds, Thea ran her hand through her hair and smiled slowly. **Perfect day to pin my hair back** , she thought triumphantly as she pulled the hairpin out of her lengthy bangs. She climbed to her feet again and quickly stuck the metal pins into the lock and expertly turned them. **Yay for criminal expertise!** The lock clicked and she pushed the door open, feeling a muted rush of victory. Slowly, Thea peered in: just an empty room. She sighed unhappily as she stepped inside the darkness, taking out her iPhone and using the flashlight function on it to light up the area. The narrow white beam of light swept over the small room landing upon the foldable table. **Another blueprint?** Thea moved over to it, setting her iPhone down on the textured top so that the light was pointed up, as she leaned over the page. The label read 'Basement.' **Why is this one not with the others?** She looked more closely at the white lines, trying to puzzle out what was so different about this plan, but she couldn't see the reason behind its separation.

With an exasperated sigh, Thea rested her weight on her wrists behind her back as her head tipped towards the ceiling. **What's going on? Why is Oliver here now? Where is he?** Her mind was racing with questions that she couldn't find answers for. She rubbed a hand over her tired eyes before she brought her gaze back down. Blindly she reached for her cellphone and, when she shined the light upon the wall, her green eyes could pick out details of the clippings on the corkboard.

There were ten pictures of weird pieces of… **are they furniture of some kind?** She didn't know and so her attention turned to the post-it notes, words written in Oliver's handwriting, attached to several of the images. The yellow note which read "Dining Table" was stuck to a picture of what appeared to be just that at first glance. As she leaned closer to look at the image, she could see something dangling off the edges of the wooden surface. She plucked the clipping off the corkboard and raised it to her eyes; shock twisted her face as she realized what it was she was looking at: handcuffs. **Why? Why are there handcuffs attached to that table?** Her hand shook as her green eyes swept over the image again, taking note of a secondary set of cuffs on the side of the table closest to the camera. She stared at the picture in her hand for so long that her eyes began to burn. **What am I looking at?** That was the question running on an endless loop in her mind as she pinned the image and its corresponding post-it! note back to the corkboard. Quickly, she scanned the other depictions of unusual things. The giant metal X which she was pretty sure was not some sort of post-modern art. Its green note read, 'Display.' As her eyes moved to the next picture, all she could equate to it was a balance beam, but that wasn't quite right. **There are far too many levels for that.** The blue tag underneath simply said, 'Reminder.' **What does he want to remember?** The only big picture on the board that she recognized, as her flashlight moved over it, was a large bed; it had no attached note. It didn't really need one. From that, her attention turned to the smaller, less obvious pictures. They were lined up in a straight row above the others. Thanks to her childhood equestrian dreams, Thea could name some of the whips, but not all. There was also a paddle and, perhaps most out of place, a hairbrush.

"What the hell's that for?" She whispered to herself just as there was a loud clanking bang from the floor below. Startled, Thea dropped her phone for fear of being caught in what was supposed to be a locked room. She cringed as she bent down to pick it up, aware the screen was broken without having to look. On quiet feet, the seventeen-year-old moved towards the door, opening it slowly to peer out, curious to see what had made that noise.

Almost as soon as she cracked the door away from its doorframe, voices began to drift up from the main floor below. "-hope you find what you're looking for, Sir." It's a voice that she didn't recognize, but she could tell it was a female. **So, it** _ **was**_ **a girl Ollie was meeting.** That thought pulled her lips down into a frown.

"You, as well," She knew for certain that was her brother's voice and, despite her better judgement, Thea found herself creeping out of the room and onto the walkway. It was risky; either of them could look up and see her, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to see, wanted to know, who this woman was that had so entranced her brother. His back was to her and Thea was glad for that, but as a result, the woman was facing her. She was pretty, though that was expected, all blue-eyed and blonde. Thea couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of the woman. **Could she be any more of a fake Barbie clone?**

As she watched, making sure to keep quiet and low, Oliver's hand reached out and took the woman's shoulder gently. "I'm sure you'll find the right Master soon." Thea's ears barely picked up the sound of Oliver's voice, but she froze as everything came together. Her brother, her Ollie, was building a sex dungeon under his club! Or, given the extensive detail she'd seen in the blueprints for the basement, Oliver was building a club to hide his sex dungeon!

Her mind was blank as she watched the couple below walk out of the club. She blinked, staring idly ahead. **That's why he's always taking off at the drop of a hat?** What was she supposed to do with that information? She sat back, her spine resting against the wall, as she waited for him to return. She could try running for the door now, escaping the club while Oliver was distracted by the Barbie wannabe, but it was too risky.

It didn't take long; Oliver was soon entering the soon-to-be club once more and for a few heartbeats, Thea worried that his blue eyes would turn up and spot her, but he did not. He simply walked back into the basement. She waited a full minute, holding tight to her shattered phone, before she bolted down the staircase and out the door, not bothering to care if it slammed behind her. Thea ran to her car quickly, slipped inside and started it. She drove as calmly as possible for two and half blocks before she pulled her car over, her heart beating frantically in her chest as she did up her seat belt. **Now what?** Thea wondered as she once again started driving. **Now I know…but what do I do with it?**

* * *

**Homework is not a suitable distraction.** Thea decided that after she found herself staring at the same calculus problem for forty minutes. It wasn't that she couldn't focus either; she had stashed pills in her first aid kit to help with that if the need ever arose. No, her problem was that she couldn't stop focusing on what she'd pieced together earlier in the night. She tried calling or Skyping with her friends. She'd tried snacking on junk food while watching one of her guilty pleasure movies. She'd even tried shower singing which, as any girl can attest, is a very good mind-distracting tactic. Nothing had worked! Homework had been her last resort and now...

Thea pushed the book away in disgust. **What is homework good for if it isn't a suitable time suck?** Irritated, the youngest Queen snatched her laptop from its precarious perch on the edge of her desk and moved to take a seat on her bed. **When all else fails, try social media.** After all, even the typical drama of prep school is a better thing to think about then...

She shook her head and opened Facebook in a new tab. **Why is this even bothering me?** She clicked on her notifications in the menu bar. **It's not like I didn't know Oliver was being intimate with women.** She'd been aware of that since she was eight. Sneaking into his room unannounced because she was spooked by the lightning storm and finding another girl on _her_ half of his bed had ruined any illusions she might have had about that. She scrolled down her notification list, irritated to find that almost every one of them was simply people updating their profile pictures. **So Oliver is a Dominant. So what?** **He's allowed to need more then vanilla...and it's not like I was unaware of the lifestyle in general.** She'd been in a relationship back when she was fifteen with a guy who'd wanted her to be his "doll" in the bedroom. She had honestly tried to have an open mind, but as soon as she saw the life-sized doll clothes she had run from that relationship; it just wasn't right for her. So it was not as if she'd _just_ discovered the kinky side of sex.

**Why then can't I stop thinking about it? Why can't I shake this off? It's the convergence** , she realized. The two things alone, the Lifestyle and Oliver needing sex, she could handle. It was the fact that he was in the Lifestyle that plagued her mind. With a resigned sigh and a quick tap at her touchpad, Thea pulled up an incognito window. **It's always best to start at the beginning…** Fingers that had long since mastered the keyboard typed in her first search, 'what is BDSM?'

Hours later, with eyes stinging from the effects of the bright screen and brain buzzing with knowledge, Thea closed the incognito window on her laptop, watching as the numerous tabs disappeared. She didn't bothered to even glance at the regular window as she closed it too. **Doing research** , she thought as she placed the computer on the floor, **is exhausting. Must cross researcher off my future career list in the morning.** She burrowed into her light comforter as she laid her head down upon the fluffy pillow. Sleep claimed her quickly after that.

_Thea grinned as she leaned over the banister a little to look down upon the party happening below. The people were dancing in unison in true ball fashion and Thea couldn't wait! She gathered up her pale blue, sequined strapless dress and started down the staircase to the first floor. As soon as she stopped at the bottom, a man in a traditional tuxedo wearing an all-white masquerade mask came to her and put his arm through hers. "You look beautiful, Speedy." Ollie._

" _Thank you." She said softly as he led her into the repurposed living room. The siblings blended quickly into the lines of nameless, faceless, dancing people, moving with ease. As the first song came to an end, Oliver put a hand on her lower back and led her away. "Where are we going?" She asked as the dancing picked up behind them like they were never there in the first place._

_There was a smile in his voice as he said, "It's time for you to know." It was then she noticed the heavy metal door in front of them that she knew didn't belong there._ _**Where had it come from?** _

" _Know what?"_

_He lifted his mask away, abandoning it on the floor without a thought, and he pulled open the door, "What it's like to be mine."_

Thea blinked her eyes open as the first light of the new day began to stream into her bedroom. "Well, that can't be good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** This chapter took forever and I apologize, but my muse is fleeting. I hope you all like this chapter though and I'll see you next chapter.


	3. Chapter 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- Italicized words are imagined conversations & emphasized words  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by Fifty Shades Of Grey.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

One week had passed since Thea had tailed her brother to the soon-to-be club. Seven days since she'd uncovered his big secret. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, the seventeen-year-old couldn't quite shake it. Questions lingered in her brain, eating away at her attention span; after all, there were questions that the internet, with its expansive knowledge-base, couldn't answer for her. Why was Oliver involved in this lifestyle? What were his personal rewards from this type of activity? Those questions were nothing she was ashamed of; they were scientific and observational. It was the questions of a less objective nature that really concerned her. **Which term of entitlement does Oliver prefer? Is he a strict dominant or more relaxed in his control? Has he found the right woman yet or is he still searching?** She tried to stop those wandering trains of thought, but it was an impossible task.

Then there were the dreams. They were the worst part of it all because she couldn't lie to herself in her dreams and she'd have to wake every time and face the cold hard facts. She wasn't just a curious, unattached observer. She didn't just have a scientific curiosity about this darker side of life. She was no longer just a concerned sister about her older brother. No, those damned dreams forced a very clear and sharp reality upon her: she was personally intrigued. There was no denial to be applied when she woke with her body on fire and desperate for a touch she would never have. Nothing could be shied away from when her panties were dampened with desire and a whimper died in her throat.

She wanted to explore the world in which her brother now lived, but how? Oliver was her only link to the hidden lifestyle and it wasn't as if she could ask him. Just the thought of it was so awkward that Thea wanted to hide under a bridge _. 'Hi, Ollie, I followed you and now I know what you're hiding, but don't worry, I'm not freaked out, I'm actually kind of interested. Hey, do you know where I could meet any guys who might be willing to help me explore? What's the rush? Oh, I keep having these dreams that star you and that's so weird, I know, so I'm hoping to meet someone to replace you in my dreams before I lose my mind_.' **That is so not a conversation that I could ever have.**

But then, she figured, Oliver _had_ to have connections in the community she was interested in. How else would he have met that woman she'd seen him with? She doubted very much that her brother could use the internet to that degree. So, in order to get the information that she wanted without the awkward conversation, Thea decided she needed to get close to her brother. She would find what she needed and, as a bonus, she would get to spend time with him. After coming to that conclusion, something occurred to her as to how she could get what she wanted. She brought her idea up to the family at breakfast the next morning.

It was a typical breakfast in the Queen household. Moira and Walter sat at the far end of the table, talking amongst themselves as if no one else existed. At the opposite end from the whispering duo, Oliver and Thea sat. Oliver ate his breakfast without a single word to his younger sister who was sitting on his left.

"So, I was thinking," All three of them looked up at her suddenly, "since graduation is in a few months, I should probably work somewhere, so I have something to put my name to."

Moira paused, spoon halfway to her mouth, "That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart."

"That's very industrious of you, Thea," Walter remarked, his voice booming and heavily accented compared to that of his wife. "Do you have any idea where you might want to work? A place can always be made for you at Queen Consolidated if you would like."

Thea smiled at her stepfather very softly, before she finished laying out her plan. "Actually, I was thinking I could work with Ollie at his club. It's a unique opportunity to see something grow from the ground up."

The sound of Oliver choking on his coffee drew everyone's attention to him, "No." That was it, just no. The swift rejection stung Thea. **Is the idea of spending time with me so abhorrent to him?** Before she could really think any more on it, their mother spoke up in her defense.

"It's a good idea, Oliver," said the family matriarch, "Thea will gain real world experience, you'll have an extra set of hands and a new perspective that will help you draw in a younger crowd."

"It's a twenty-one and over club," Oliver insisted, "Thea's 'crowd' isn't old enough to get through the door."

Moira wasn't deterred from her path. She fixed her only son with her best 'I-am-your-mother-and-you-will-do-as-I-tell-you' look, "It will be a good chance for you two to get reacquainted."

For several tense moments, Thea held her breath as she waited to see whose will was stronger. Eventually, Oliver relented, "Fine, Thea, if you really want to work in the club-"

"I do."

He pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. She followed suit. His blue eyes swept over her and, though she knew he was merely checking her wardrobe choice for appropriateness, she still had to fight against the instinctive urge to shiver. It was too similar to the Ollie of her dreams. "That'll do." He said decisively and she smiled under the positive praise. She chosen this old, worn outfit to emphasize her eagerness to join in on his endeavor. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're my sister."

"I won't." Out of the corner of her eye, Thea could see both their mother and stepfather pretending not to be paying attention. **They are horrible actors** , she thought. **Better not quit their day jobs.**

"And I don't want to hear any complaints later. You asked to do this, Speedy." Thea huffed in indignation. **I am not a child!** But Oliver wasn't quite done with his list of conditions. "And you will do what I tell you when I tell you, do you understand?"

That statement was too tempting for her to resist the chance to tease Oliver. **It's almost too easy.** Thea smiled softly as she moved past him to collect her stuff and said under her breath, "Yes, master." The look of momentary utter shock on his face was so hilarious that she almost forgot what she was doing.

* * *

Two weekends came and went and surprisingly, Thea quite enjoyed working at the soon-to-be Verdant. It was oddly invigorating to be hands on with the project and watch the nightclub take shape. The construction crew took a little while to warm up to her, but with both Tommy and Oliver behind her participation, they couldn't shut her out forever. It was after a long Saturday morning of hard work that both Thea and Tommy were perched upon the catwalk, looking down at the carnage below them. The unionized workforce was gone to a nearby restaurant for their hour-long lunchbreak. The only Merlyn child and the youngest Queen were just discussing happy moments from their childhood over the sandwiches she'd packed for the three of them; Oliver, however, claimed to be too busy to eat and so his sandwich sat uneaten beside her.

"No, you totally believed me!" Tommy exclaimed, laughter shaking his body and moving the iron below them slightly.

Thea shook her head a little in denial, "I was six! Of course I believed you. I believed pretty much anything at that age."

"Oh, I know," the elder man agreed, "it provided us with great amusement."

She huffed in mock annoyance, "I'm glad someone got enjoyment out of my stupidity."

"Not stupidity, just naivety." He countered, taking a bite out of his sandwich, "You would have thought it was funny too if you hadn't been the one being made to run up and down the stairs."

Thea wanted to object on principle, but she knew he was right. It would have been funny if it had happened to someone else. "That's not the point." She grumbled under her breath, pouting, and Tommy pushed her shoulder playfully.

 **He's such a good guy, what's he doing with Laurel?** She couldn't help, but frown a little at the thought. Laurel was okay on paper, but personally, Thea had took issue with her. First, she used Tommy as revenge against Oliver after he disappeared with Sara and now, she was playing both of them like a cat played with a mouse before attacking. Thea was pretty sure that Tommy and Laurel were more than strictly revenge hookup these days, but still its beginnings were enough to make Thea unhappy with the older woman. Granted, she would never give voice to those thoughts because doing so would open a whole can of worms that just wasn't worth it.

"You two can head home."

Thea jumped, startled by the sudden sound of her brother's voice directly behind them. If it hadn't been for Tommy's tightening grip on her shoulder, she might have fallen from the unfinished catwalk. She hadn't even heard the door to the room behind them open or his approach. **How is it even possible to walk quietly up here?** She angled her body slightly towards her lunch companion so she could see Oliver with a small tilt of her head. His face bore no expression, but that in and of itself was telling. He only kept his emotions from his face when something was _really_ upsetting him.

"Why? What's wrong?" Thea asked, climbing to her feet. They certainly were not done for the day and she had plans to have a discussion with an individual from waterworks about the possibility of putting in a second sink behind the bar. She had already discussed adding an additional speedwell to the bar, to increase productivity and decrease stress on busy nights, with Oliver, Tommy and the contractor. Now she just needed to know if additional plumbing was going to be a problem. A quick sideways glance at Tommy confirmed that he too was confused by Oliver's random declaration.

"I've already called and dismissed the work crew for today and I'll handle the meeting with the plumber in half an hour," Oliver said without answering either question asked of him. "Enjoy the day."

"Okay, thanks, man." Tommy said, climbing to his feet too. She shot him a quick disbelieving look. **Does he really not get that something's happening here? How can he be so willing to overlook the obvious?**

Thea wasn't as willing to accept the day off as Tommy was. Something was going on and she tired of Oliver's cagey behavior, "I came in with you; I can't leave before you."

Her brother wasn't deterred, "I'm _sure_ Tommy wouldn't mind taking you home." He turned to look at his best friend, "Right, Tommy?"

"Yeah, no problem." The seventeen-year-old glared at him **, really? Have some situational awareness, will you?**

As if sensing the refusal that was coming, Oliver turned to look at her. "Leave, Thea."

"No."

"Go home." His blue eyes burned coldly as he glared at her.

"No."

As Thea watched, a muscle ticked in his face. **He's really furious now.** "I won't tell you again." For a few seconds, both siblings froze in angry tableau. Neither willing to back down.

"Um, Thea," Tommy said, tugging her half a step towards himself, "let's just go, okay? Oliver's clearly got things he needs to do, yeah? Let's just go." Thea blinked confused by his mere presence. She was freaked out that, even momentarily, she'd forgotten Tommy was there. **That can't be good…**

"Fine." She said, tossing one last glare over her shoulder at Oliver. She picked up the scraps from their shared lunch and together, Tommy and Thea, left the warehouse.

"Okay," Tommy said as he pulled out the keys from his pocket and clicked the button on the remote to unlock the doors, "what was that?" He opened the driver's door as she walked around the front of the car to the passenger's side. "Why did you argue with him? It's just a day off."

She sighed as she pulled on the handle to open her door and climbed in. "It's weird is all." She said, clicking her seatbelt into place. "Don't you think something's…off with him? Just kicking us out like that?"

"Well, yeah," Tommy agreed reluctantly, starting the car, "but maybe he's just got something to do that he didn't want to explain, you know?"

"Like what?" But as soon as the question left her mouth, Thea knew what Oliver could be so desperate to keep them from knowing. **Is Ollie really the type of guy to halt work on his club just to get laid?** Tommy shot her a look and it made it worse somehow that he had come to the same conclusion. She frowned, feeling suddenly put out by the whole day.

"So," Tommy said, clearing his throat awkwardly as he pulled away from the curb, "do you want to do something? I mean, now that we have the day off, why not?" He smiled slightly, "It feels like forever since we hung out, just you and me."

The idea of spending time with one of her best friends brightened her outlook quite considerably. "Yeah, that'd be great."

* * *

Later that night, Thea waved goodbye to Tommy and unlocked the door before stepping inside. "Hello?" She called tentatively heading towards the long staircase. "Mom? Walter? Ollie?"

"Hey, Speedy." She jumped, turning away from the staircase towards the doorway to their living room where Oliver stood. "Did you have a nice day off?" Thea looked at him closely for a few moments. He seemed perfectly content, not a hint of the surprising anger that had shocked her into an argument with him earlier. It was so confusing. **How can he be so normal now and have been so weird this afternoon? I know girls who have less dramatic mood swings.**

"Yeah, Tommy and I went to see that movie with all the hubbub? _Life of PI_?" She told him with an awkward smile, "I don't really get what everyone's so thrilled with. I found it confusing and boring myself. Tommy didn't like it either." She shrugged absently, "Then we agreed we weren't super hungry, but we grabbed a light dinner and dessert."

"Ah," Oliver said, nodding rather stiffly, "That's nice."

Feeling like she was missing something rather obvious, Thea asked, "What about you? Did the plumber ever show up?"

"Yes, he said he could rework our setup so we could have a second speedwell behind the bar."

"Good. I just think it'll come in handy for-"

He chuckled, "Thea, you've already made your pitch."

A blush tinted her cheeks slightly, "Right. Sorry."

With that discussed, the two siblings lapsed into silence. Thea didn't know what to say. Asking him about the past five years was clearly off the table, if that first night's dinner was any indication, and obviously she couldn't tell him that she knew about his secret either. So, what could they talk about?

"Well, I'm glad you and Tommy had fun on your date."

The way he said it, along with what it was that he said, had Thea laughing in a way that she hadn't in months. He appeared so honestly confused that she could tell it wasn't meant as a joke as she originally assumed. It took a few seconds for her enjoyment to fade enough for her respond to his erroneous assumption. "It wasn't a date!" She shook her head in disbelief, "I'm not interested in Tommy like that."

"You…aren't?"

"No, why would you think that?"

Oliver's eyes flicked around briefly as if he was searching their surroundings for the answer to her question. "I thought that's why you wanted to work at Verdant; to spend more time with Tommy. I sent you all home so you two could have some time together outside the club."

 **Really?** Instantly, Thea felt guilty that he'd thought she'd used him to get closer to Tommy when that couldn't have been any further from the truth. She bridged the distance between them and rested a hand on his arm to make sure that she had his attention. "I wanted to spend more time with you, Ollie," she informed him simply. "I mean, yeah, I like Tommy, of course I do. He's a great guy, but that's it. Even if I did like him in that way, which again I _don't_ , he's totally in love with Laurel and no one else matters when Laurel's got someone's attention." Under her breath she mumbled, "I only needed to learn that lesson once."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, "never mind." **Shit. Shit.** She hadn't meant to say that aloud. "Let's do something, yeah?"

Oliver, however, was not budging. **Damn him and his Queen stubbornness**. "No. What does that mean?"

"Ollie, please-"

"Thea." His tone was serious and brooked no argument.

"Fine," Thea said, biting off the word, "but don't forget I tried to not tell this story."

He nodded, "I've been warned."

"You probably don't remember this. I mean, why would you? It wasn't a big deal to you, but it was a big deal to me." He frowned, but didn't dare interrupt her. "I was so excited. It was my first real riding competition and I'd been training so hard for it. Mom and Dad couldn't come because…well, they just couldn't, but I didn't care because **you** were going to be there." She fiddled with a loose strand of denim on her shorts, "I kept peering around for you up until it was my group's turn and then I mounted my horse and prepared for my turn."

"How did it go?" There was a hesitation after the first word that was a clear indicator to her that he, in fact, didn't remember. She'd expected that.

"Fine…until I got to my second jump. I was so distracted, wondering where you were, that I didn't have the proper stance when my horse leapt over the poles and I was tossed off. Because I didn't finish the obstacle course, I was disqualified…and I broke my arm."

" _That_ I remember." His voice held a note of regret.

"Do you remember why you weren't there that day? 'Cause I do." She tugged on the string wrapped around her finger. It broke off. "You were so wrapped up in Laurel, you forgot that you were supposed to come to my competition. You showed up when I was admitted to the hospital, but it was too late." Her green eyes dropped to that piece of string now loosely encircling her finger, "No one is more important than Laurel Lance."

"I'm s-"

"No." Thea interrupted abruptly, "don't apologize."

"Why not?"

She sighed, running her left hand through her hair, "Because there's nothing to apologize for. I know that you and Laurel must have been doing something really important to not come to my competition, even then I understood that, and in the long run, it didn't matter, you know?" She shot him a weak smile, "And if you were considering apologizing for the fact Laurel always wins out…you shouldn't. It's just the way it is. Girls like Laurel always steal the show and girls like me just end up shadowed."

"Thea-"

"Ollie," She said with a sigh, "It's really fine. I just told you to explain why even if I wanted to be with Tommy I wouldn't try for him."

"Thea!" The forcefulness of his voice stopped her on the second step and caused her to turn around. He climbed up the two stairs and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an unexpected hug. "You could never be overshadowed." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "You put the sun to shame, Speedy." With a bright grin on her lips, Thea buried her face into his shoulder and breathed deep. **Home.**

It was in that moment on their staircase that the youngest Queen realized why, despite having the time and a couple of chances to do so, she'd never retrieved the information that was originally sought. She didn't want just any man, just any dominant; she wanted Oliver. **Fuck.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Only a chapter or two left before we get into the heart of this thing. Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Reviews keeping my writing mojo active.


	4. Chapter 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- Italicized words are imagined conversations & emphasized words  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by Fifty Shades Of Grey.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

If she had the time, Thea probably would have overthought her reevaluation until the what-ifs and worries made her ill. Lucky for her, she didn't have the time to panic over what it meant that sometimes when Oliver was talking to her she lost herself in thoughts of what it would be like to kiss him. No, she had to focus on helping to get Verdant up and running, the rapidly approaching last half of senior year, and all the decisions that came along with that.

If that weren't enough, then Oliver had to go and force them all to throw a Christmas party. They had their reasons, valid ones, for abandoning the practice of holiday festivities, but then there was Oliver. One sentence from him and both Moira and Walter thought hosting a Christmas party again was a fantastic idea. How could she have objected in the face of such overwhelming peer pressure? The look Oliver wore as he turned his attention entirely on her, sealed the deal. She caved in, with a small eye-roll for effect. She had a reputation to protect, after all.

The closer they came to the day of the party though, the more pissed off she became. **What right does he have to bring all this back up?** There was a reason they had decided to forego holidays in the first place and instead of asking them about that, Oliver just had to barge in and force them to change everything. **Why couldn't he just leave it be?** She didn't need the memories and sadness that this party would bring up for her. **But that doesn't matter, does it?** **All that matters to any of them is that we all smile brightly and act normal so no one notices that we are all screwed up.**

In a passive aggressive attempt at some kind of revenge against her brother, Thea invited a date, and not just any date. Shane. Oliver had some problem with Shane, but for the life of her Thea couldn't figure it out. Shane had been perfectly nice when she introduced them the other day at Big Belly Burger; okay, yes, he might have made an ill-advised joke, but Tommy made them all the time and Oliver didn't have dislike him. Oh well, the way Thea figured it, his dislike only made inviting Shane to the party all the sweeter.

_By the time that Thea felt like she might scream from the sheer absurdity of it, she had spent half an hour being the dutiful daughter. The cheer and general merriment of the season was enhanced by the copious amounts of eggnog the attendees consumed. Thea just wanted to be anywhere but there. When everyone else looked around they saw a cheerful holiday celebration; when Thea looked around all she saw were blissfully ignorant partygoers and memories of Christmases lost to the sands of time. Each minute she played pretend like everyone wanted just shattered her heart further and further._

_Luckily for her, Shane was a very attentive date; every time her happy persona started to slip under the pressure he was there to distract her with an easy, yet unrelated conversation change or a joke to lighten her mind. It made the simple decision to slip, hopefully unnoticed, from the party rather easy. As she laughingly tugged him from the celebration and up the stairs towards her bedroom, an odd sort of peacefulness settled over her. It didn't matter what would happen later; all that mattered in that moment was forgetting everything. That was all she needed, just a distraction from that dreadful party, from the expectations, from even her secret, wicked, desires._ _**Maybe all I need is sex,** _ _she thought as she shut the door to her room behind her_ _**, maybe that'll jarr me free from desiring Ollie. It couldn't do any harm to try, could it?** _

_Shane's lips were insistent, almost frantic, against her own as they kissed and Thea knew why. He'd been after her for about a year now and she'd not let him out of the friend-zone. She was bursting at the seams too with a desire that she just wanted to be rid of._ _**So, what if it's not for him?** _ _With a slight shove, Shane fell back to sit upon her mattress and she was quick to position herself between his spread legs. Her hands ran up his chest below his striped shirt. She just needed to touch and be touched, to feel warm skin on hers, to feel pleasure unhindered by anything else. There was no doubt in her mind that he had his own selfish reasons for being there with, but it didn't change that. She was just grateful for him, for his hands, as they slid down the straps of her lingerie dress. It didn't matter why either of them were there; all that mattered was that they were._

_She was so distracted by what was coming that she didn't hear the sound of knuckles lightly striking the wood or the sound of her big brother's voice it. It wasn't until the door opened behind her that she took notice of the intrusion. "Oliver!" She exclaimed, outraged that he would dare invade her private space and such an inopportune moment. Hurriedly, her hands moved to right the shoulders of her dress again, doing her best to hide her state of previous undress as best she could._

_Somehow, Oliver managed to look around her. He simply pointed at Shane and stated, "Hit the road." Shane grabbed his coat from the ottoman at the end of her bed and fled from fright._ _**Wimp,** _ _she thought angrily,_ _**Oliver's not so scary.** _ _"What are you doing?" She demanded, barely resisting the urge to pout._ _**It's not fair! Even when I try to get him out of my system without hurting anyone, he still manages to stop that** _ _._

" _Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing, because there's a party going on downstairs that I threw for you." His face was passive without any real expression, but his eyes spoke of a cold, simmering sort of anger. Thea, however, had never been one to back down from anything, not even Oliver._

_**Is he serious right now?** _ _"I told you, I didn't want a party." How could he be so willfully ignorant of the truth?_ _**Come what may, right?** _ _"But you didn't care. Because you came down with the holiday blues. I've been trying to get you to open up for months. All this party is doing is bringing back memories I've been trying to forget." She turned away from him, utterly frustrated with his lack of comprehension._

" _Thea!" For a single moment, Thea took pleasure in the frustration she could hear in his voice._ _ **At least now I'm not the only one frustrated.**_ _He reached out for her, prepared to grab her shoulder and make her turn around, but at the last second, he aborted the motion entirely. Despite her desire to be obstinate to the final day, Thea couldn't but whirl around once more to face him. His face was decidedly calmer as he asked, "Why would you want to forget?"_

_**He really doesn't get it.** _ _She took a single step in his direction and folded her arms over her chest. "No matter how fancy the party is you throw, things will never be the way they used to be in our family. Ever again." Just for good measure, she punctuated her statement with an extra-fierce glare._

_As she watched, something indescribable shifted in his features. Suddenly, he wasn't the calm detached, man that he tried to be all the time; instead, he seemed almost innocent for a second as his eyes grew glassy with unshed tears. Without another word, Oliver spun on his heel and left._

After that, it was like life was determined to be on full speed and Thea was running as fast as she could to keep up, but she was just constantly falling behind. Somehow before she could even catch her breath, it was time for her birthday party. It should have been a happy day, it would been, but then she had to happen upon her mother in a secret conversation with Malcolm Merlyn. It was the realization that love and loyalty were utter lies that prompted Thea to take those gifted Vertigo pills and drive off in her new car.

Even as she took off into the night, leaving the house full of lies and secrets behind her, Thea knew it was a mistake. Everything that followed: crashing her car, waking up in the hospital, the look of disappointment that Oliver wore almost constantly, getting arrested, going to court, it was all just putting a finer point on what she had known that night. The judge's verdict made everything crystal clear, though, and for the first time since she was twelve years old, Thea Queen was terrified. Turning to look at Oliver as the judge's declaration echoed in her head? That was just a reflex. As always, her big brother managed to come through for her and saved the day.

She should have just said thank you when Laurel came over to discuss the deal her father managed to secure her. She knew that and, looking back, Thea actually felt guilty being so ungrateful. There was no helping it though; she reacted emotionally when she was in a stressful situation or just stressed in general. The sight of Laurel sitting next to Ollie was one of those disquieting things and so she'd resorted to her bitchy nature. For obvious reasons, Oliver didn't like her treating the lawyer that way.

The door to the Queen mansion clicked closed behind Laurel's exit. **Good riddance** , she thought bitterly. "If you were mine..." He muttered under his breath. Anger laced the four words, but she wasn't to be deterred. Thea couldn't take the veiled promises anymore; she had to know.

"And if I was?" Thea challenged. The question brought Oliver to a dead halt. "If I was yours, then what?" He turned slowly to face her; his eyes as dark as a moment before, but now they glittered with...amusement, maybe? Thea couldn't be sure. It was so hard to read him when he got in these moods of his.

There was a wry smile on his lips as he responded, "You don't want to know."

"Yes, I do."

He chuckled and took two steps forward, the glitter in his gaze increasing with each footfall, "You don't know me as well as you might think you do, Speedy." It was a warning, but one she would never heed. Wariness of this game of theirs had eaten at her long enough.

"Why? Because of the basement?"

He grinned like the Cheshire Cat then and Thea felt her whole body become alert with awareness. She'd never seen him look quite so...predatory before. "When did you find out?"

"Three weeks ago."

He was silent for a few minutes following her answer. The intensity in his eyes made her want to squirm, but she held herself purposefully still. It wouldn't do to let him know how easily he could get to her with a simple look. "How?"

Her lip popped into her mouth at the question. She didn't want to answer it; lest she sound creepy. "Don't pout, Thea." The sternly spoken command startled her into actually doing just that. **Huh, when had I started pouting?** "That's better," he said, amusement and ease suddenly returning to him.

"I followed you one night and found my way into the storage room." Bravely, green eyes met blue. "I saw the blueprints of the basement and the pictures tacked on the wall."

Oliver nodded slowly. Thea couldn't tell whether or not it was a nod of acceptance or one of displeasure. He would have every right to be mad at her, for a number of things actually. She had followed him, snuck in and dug around in his stuff, and been rude to his friend. **Shouldn't he be shouting at me now?**

"You never answered my question." She pointed out, hoping that perhaps redirecting the conversation would help fix things, and he smiled in that soft way of his. She'd always hoped that smile was only meant for her, but there would never be any certainty.

"You've asked alot of questions, Speedy; you have to be more specific."

It felt like she was being teased, having to ask again. **Does he really think I'll have grown too embarrassed to ask in the last five minutes?** "If I were yours, and I've heard you say it several times when you thought I wouldn't hear, what would happen?"

"First, let me ask you something," he took another step towards her, but she didn't back away, "do you really think you're ready to know?" He reached out then and tucked her hair behind her left ear. "Just because you know about my playroom doesn't mean you're ready to open this...Pandora's Box, Thea."

"I want to know." Her voice was suddenly soft in the quiet mansion. "I need to know."

For a minute, Oliver just stood there, looking down at her, his hand resting on the side of her neck under her ear. His blue eyes scanned her face. **What does he see?** Then suddenly he nodded and took a step back. Within an instant, he was back to being the distant, almost cold brother, she'd known for months. It was like watching a rubber band snap back into shape; it happened so fast that it seemed impossible that the rubber band had ever been different at all.

"Meet me there," she didn't need to ask where he meant; it was obvious, "tonight at eight. We'll talk then." Just like that he was gone again and she was left to wonder, **what am I supposed to do now?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Now we're gonna get to it, doves.


	5. Chapter 05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- Italicized words are imagined conversations & emphasized words.  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by **Fifty Shades Of Grey.**  
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

The buzz of her iPhone's alarm was entirely unnecessary. She was well aware that it was 7:30 and she'd been through her closet three times already. **There is no outfit for this conversation,** she thought in frustration. Everything she had was either too classy or too revealing, too business-like or too casual. She growled, pulling a hanger from her closet and tossing it over her shoulder. **What does 'we'll talk then' even mean?** Talk about what? Was he trying to gauge how much she knew of his secret? Was he simply hoping to convince her not to tell anyone? She rolled her eyes at the thought. **His private life is no one else's business!** Though, given the fact she'd already spied upon him, she supposed he might be justified, if that was a concern he harbored.

 **Maybe that's not what he wants to discuss,** she reasoned as she flipped absentmindedly through numerous outfits. **Maybe it's the stupid, 'I need to know' comment!** A groan escaped her for the third time since he left that afternoon. God did she want to take that stupid sentence back. **It just slipped out!** She had no doubt he'd thought of that as a plea. **Maybe it was.** Another groan escaped as her mind spun with thoughts and possibilities. She'd never felt so confused in her entire life!

A dress slipped from its wood hanger and fluttered to the floor as a horrible notion occurred to her. **What if he hear that desperation I didn't mean in the sentence and what he wants to talk about is how fucked up I am?** Abruptly, Thea felt cold all over and she was certain that this 'conversation' he wanted would result in her being carted away, either by cops or mental health specialists. **Well, if that's the case…it won't matter what I wear,** she thought as she made her way to her dresser, taking out a pair of jeans and a black tank top with an oversized flannel shirt over it like a jacket. It wasn't a sexy outfit, but given that she didn't know what this 'conversation' was about, it was good enough.

With one last look around the room and quickly tucking her iPhone into her back pocket. She ran down the staircase, determined not to be late, and was grateful to find that one of the family Townecars and its driver were waiting for her. The drive there was silent, but Thea didn't feel the need to fill it with chatter. There was nothing on her mind that she could share with anyone, but Oliver anyway.

When they arrived outside of the warehouse, Thea took a shaky breath before she pushed open the door; she tried to not let the drivers open the door for her too often. The night air was cold for California in January and the eighteen-year-old huddled a little more into her flannel over-shirt as she made her way to the main door of the building. Once again standing outside this very door, her mind was abuzz with questions and frantic thoughts. **This is it; this is the moment for answers.** **Why does that intimidate me so?** She closed her eyes briefly, screwed up all of her courage, and then pulled open the door and entered.

Her green eyes locked on Oliver immediately when she was inside. He was leaning over the incomplete bar, his elbow resting upon the plywood top with his cellphone held to his ear. His back was to the door so Thea took a few seconds to compare his outfit to her own. **Not that I can go back and change now**. He was dressed in a decent pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. It was very similar to the type of outfit he wore when working on the club, hands-on without hesitation to the surprise of the workers he had hired. She let out a breath that she'd not been aware she was holding. **I dressed right; go me!** Silently, so as not to interrupt his conversation, Thea took a few more steps into the room, stripping off the flannel as she did so. That was when the phone call concluded and Oliver turned around.

"You're here." It wasn't a question, merely a statement of fact. Thea smiled weakly as she walked further into the warehouse. Nerves were flying around her stomach, making her feel uneasy, which was just ridiculous. **It's Ollie.** He didn't make her nervous; he shouldn't make her nervous. **It's just a conversation.**

"Did you doubt I'd show?" She asked as she made her way over to him.

"With you, I can never truly be sure of anything."

She bit her bottom lip a little as she came to a stop, her hip resting against the bar next to him. "That's because I'm a mystery."

He chuckled at that and mimicked her stance, "No, not a mystery; an enigma."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Not at all," Oliver countered with a small smile, "You're intriguing." There was that unknown look in his eyes again.

"Why do you do that?" She asked without thought.

"Do what?"

"Look at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked again, but she could tell but the twitch of his lips that he was messing with her. He knew exactly what she meant with her question. **The jerk.**

"You know what I'm talking about, Ollie."

There was a moment, just a fraction of a second really, where he seemed lost as to what to say, yet in a blink it was gone, replaced with a look of confident kindness. It was a look she was no stranger to. He'd always been confident, yet kind, to her. That was just Oliver. "I do." He stated simply, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."

"So..." Thea said, dragging out the word slowly, "what exactly are we here to talk about?" She folded her arms over her chest, unconsciously guarding herself in case her worst fear was indeed about to be realized. There was a small part of her that wanted to bolt from the warehouse, to simply go home and pretend she'd never said a thing to him about his secret, but Thea wouldn't allow herself to give in to her unease. Already she had come so far and she had been quite serious when she'd expressed her desire to know. The intrigue of it all would drive her crazy eventually if she hadn't dared to speak up.

The confusion was clearly written upon Oliver's face as he said, "We're here to talk about this." He gestured to the heavy metal door that led to his basement, his playroom.

 **There he goes again being vague!** Thea didn't know how to be any clearer with her question without possibly outing her own secrets. It wasn't as if she could straight up ask if they were there to solely discuss his secret or if the conversation might include where she fit into that life. There was a chance, after all, that he hadn't heard a single thing in her voice when she spoke earlier. **He might be completely oblivious to what I feel.** If that was the case then asking where she might fit in would unnecessarily out her. She wasn't so brave that she was willing to gamble her entire relationship with Oliver by inquiring any further. No matter what his answer might be it was in no way worth that risk. Nothing was.

Thea huffed in irritation at his vagueness, "I thought we came here to discuss your secrets, not add more of them."

"Fair point," He said, tipping his head slightly in agreement. "We should sit. This could take a while." His hand came to rest on the small of her back as they moved over to a table. He waited for her to take a seat before he sat in the other chair. They sat in silence for a minute, both of them looking kind of unnerved, before a slightly weird laugh escaped her.

"So…" Thea said, dragging the word out a little, "how do we start?"

He chuckled awkwardly too, "I don't really know." He rubbed a hand over his face, "My other…everyone else is…isn't new to this like you. Not that that is a bad thing, Thea; it's a good thing, actually." Oliver smiled a little at that and reached for her hand, "My little Speedy, all grown up…I knew it would happen, but I didn't expect it, not really."

She laughed, "Did you think I'd stay twelve forever?"

"Hey," He chastised softly, "a brother can hope, alright?" She shook her head as her laughter died away slowly, "But you just had grow into a beautiful woman, didn't you?" A blush tinted her cheeks at the compliment. "Just had to go make everything so much harder for me."

A pun burned the tip of her tongue after that idle comment and briefly she considered saying it because this conversation was about honesty. **That's too much awkward** , she decided, banishing the pun to the back of her mind. "I, um…" **God, why is this conversation so hard to have?** She had plenty of thoughts and questions that deserved to be spoken, but she just couldn't find her voice. **Damn it, Queen, since when are you such a coward?** Oliver chuckled under his breath and Thea couldn't suppress her shiver.

"Shouldn't I be the one uneasy here?"

"Why would you be uneasy?" She asked, confused.

He looked at her seriously for a moment, evaluating her for the honesty behind her confusion. "Because you know now, Speedy, and I can't read your mind to know what you're really feeling and thinking." He sighed and folded his hands together on top of the table. In that moment, Thea felt as if she were about to be interrogated. It unsettled her even more. "How freaked out are you, really?"

"I'm not." That was an easy one to answer.

"You're…not." He echoed her statement slowly.

She shook her head in the negative, "No."

"Why not?"

Thea hesitated at that question. If she were to answer it truthfully, she would be outing herself in a way that could cause her entire world to come unbalanced if he didn't feel as she did. **Yeah, that's not ever gonna happen.** But she couldn't bring herself to lie to him either. **It's Ollie. It's a bit alarming how many of my realizations start or end like that.**

"I'm not freaked out because I'm," she took a deep breath. **Here it goes.** "I'm intrigued."

"Intrigued?"

A weak, frustrated noise escaped her, "Are you just going to keep repeating me all night?"

Oliver held up his hands defensively, "Honestly, Thea, you've thrown me for a loop tonight. I think I am entitled to a little shocked echoing." His hands fell again as he once more transformed before her eyes. Suddenly, his whole bearing seemed, brighter, lighter somehow. "I had hoped that maybe you wouldn't...think too terribly of me, but those were just that, hopes." He smiled softly in that way of his that made her feel like she had drank too many Red Bulls, jittery and inexplicably pleased. She'd done that; she had made Oliver smile like that. "You being intrigued," **How does he make that sound as dirty as I meant it?** "is more then I dared to think of."

Secure in the knowledge that she wasn't about to frighten him away, Thea grinned honestly and pushed her chair back slightly. Leaning forward, letting her hand come to rest upon his denim-covered knee, Thea whispered, "It's time to start thinking of it, Ollie."

In the time it took Thea to blink, Oliver had reached forward, cupped the back of her neck, gently but with just enough pressure, and pulled her forward a bit more. Her mass was precariously perched on the very edge of the folding chair, but she didn't care. Without any further warning, his mouth was on hers. His lips were ever so slightly chapped as they moved over her own. It was a simple kiss, nothing like she'd imagined. Ever since she'd discovered his secret, and perhaps even a little before that if she was being honest with herself, Thea had thought he'd be a demanding kisser.

As if he was reading her mind, Oliver wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her off her chair and into his lap. A breath escaped her at the change in position and he took advantage of it, briefly running his tongue over her bottom lip before tangling their tongues together in her mouth. The slow slide of the wet muscles against one another, the slight scratch of his day-long stubble against her face, the increased pressure of his mouth as it met her own, and the tightening of his hand upon the back of her neck. It was all so wonderful. That last part though was truly delicious, being held into the kiss as she was, made her want to deepen it even more.

Oliver pulled back first and Thea unconsciously moved to follow his lips, drunk with her desire for more of him. **More, more, anything…** As soon as those thoughts flickered across her brain, Thea panicked. **That can't be good.**

"I'm sorry," his voice was calm as he apologized and it made her feel cold inside. **That has to be the fastest case of remorse for kissing someone ever.** Yet, he hadn't pushed her away; she was on his lap, her thighs on either side of his own. Shouldn't he have made her sit back in her own chair if he were so regretful over the kiss? "I shouldn't have- you don't understand yet. It wasn't right for me to kiss you when you don't know what you're getting into." He sighed, his thumb sweeping over the back of her neck gently as he spoke. It lulled her into an odd sense of relaxation, spinning all of her negative thoughts into mere whispers, like traces of a dream forgotten in the light of morning. "You are just so...you've been driving me insane since I came home. You were so very close just now, so open and beautiful and I...lost my head for a minute. I'm sorry."

It was so sweet. He kind of looked like a puppy who knew that he'd done something bad and was waiting to be yelled at. "Ollie," she said, "I'm not completely without information. I've had access to Google, you know." Her lips turned up in a slight, kind smile. She hated seeing him look so regretful over something she'd enjoyed so much.

Then something else he said registered in her brain, "I've been driving _you_ insane?" Thea echoed, disbelief coloring the sentence, "Are you kidding? I haven't done anything!"

He snorted, actually snorted, in response to that. "Are _you_ kidding?" The look he gave her was pure disbelief and she flushed slightly. "The revealing, sexy clothes, the lingering looks, and of course, the baiting comments and the attention seeking behaviors." She opened her mouth to question that claim, but he beat her to the punch. "You have no idea how much strength of will it took to stay my hand when you were being so bratty." His tongue snuck out to lick at his bottom lip. Her eyes took in the vague shine to the pink skin with a muted feeling of glee. "I wanted to punish you so badly for being as foolish as you were."

"That's why you kept saying, 'if you were mine.'" The realization tumbled from her lips in a whisper.

He nodded, all brooding and serious. "If you decide you want all this," he gestured around them to indicate the empty club, "then such...undesirable behaviors must come to end, or there will be consequences." The sentence and its ominous warning hung heavy in the air. Doubts ate away at her confidence. **Is this really what I want? Fear of reprisals and disappointing Ollie?**

"And-" she started to ask, hesitant to speak the words for fear of giving him the wrong impression, "What happens if I decide I don't want all of this?" Now she too was gesturing around the soon-to-be party-scene.

"Nothing changes." He answered simply, easily. "Thea, you are my sister. You will always be my sister and nothing will ever change that."

"So if I don't..." She trailed off for a moment before picking the sentence up, "you won't cut all ties with me? You won't hate me?"

Oliver chuckled then and folded her into a gentle hug. "No Thea, I won't. If you decide that what I'm asking of you isn't for you, or even if we give it a shot and you don't like it..." He pressed a kiss into the top of her hair, "There will be no bad feelings or anything like that." He pulled her back slightly so he could look at her face. "Don't look so worried, Speedy. You and I will be always be you and I, okay? I promise."

"What about if I," again she hesitated, fearful of the answer. She'd never in all her eighteen years been so nervous during a conversation. "just want you without all of this..."

His blue eyes widened considerably at the question. **Why is it so impossible in his mind that someone might want just a vanilla relationship with him?** While she had no, nor did she want any, proof, Thea was fairly certain that before the Queen's Gambit vanished Oliver had an average sex life. He hadn't always had a basement with whips and handcuffs. He was clearly capable of vanilla and yet he acted as though the idea of it was beyond his comprehension. **What the hell happened to him on that island?**

"I don't know, Thea." His voice sounded agonized, as if by simply asking she'd dragged him kicking and screaming across hot coals. **Is it me? Is it that he can only imagine having a relationship with me if we push the boundaries to their limits in such a way?** "I would try, if that's what you really want from me, but..." He sighed and the hand cupping the back of her neck slid to her shoulder and squeezed a bit. There was true turmoil in his gaze; the normal bright blue darkening like the turbulent sea in a storm. "I'm not- I don't do these things because they are fun... I mean, they are fun, obviously, but..." He sighed, "I do them because I need to, and all of my prospective partners need it too."

"Do I need it?" The question slipped out of her mouth without intent. **Fuck.**

"Oh," Oliver said, amid a throaty chuckle, "I have never met a woman who needs it like you do, little sister." The term had her toes curling in her shoes and she just couldn't resist digging further into the topic. Her thirst for knowledge on this taboo subject was far too strong.

"Why?"

He smiled wickedly, "Do you really want to know?"

"Would I have asked if I didn't?"

"You?" He fiddled with the spaghetti strap of her tank top, twirling it between his fingers idly. His eyes met hers and the glitter in those depths made her feel happy on a level that she could not explain. "Yes, you would ask, even if you didn't want to know." He leaned forward slightly and nipped at her lips. "Fine, if you really insist..." His hand left the black fabric to push her hair behind her ear, his face completely honest and open as he looked at her.

"From what I've seen, you've spent the last five years alone. Having to take control of your own life when you weren't quite ready yet. You were, and still are in some ways, so young; you needed guidance and unfortunately you didn't get that." She nodded numbly, tears forming in her eyes. His right arm wrapped around her back and pulled her as close to him as possible. Her head fell to his shoulder unconsciously and his left hand ran gently over the back of her head. "Because of that you grew up and rebelled, desperate for someone to notice, someone to care enough." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head again. "Now you want someone to take that control that has been weighing on your shoulders, someone to direct you, care for you, and help you grow. It will give you what you need without the dangers you take now."

Slowly, and with the utmost caution, Oliver reached up and gathered all her hair together, gently using her brunette tresses to take her head off his shoulder. He smiled softly and released her strands, "For you, Thea, I will do whatever is needed." Her hair fell down about her shoulders in a cascade. "You just have to decide what it is that you want, that you need."

Without a word, he somehow slid her off his lap and back into her own chair. After a second, her mind began to clear of the misty haze that had seamlessly taken over her sense of decorum. **Did I just cuddle him?** The more outspoken part of her rebelled as she realized that, yes, she had cuddled into him. The other part of her though, perhaps the side that he had just so accurately analyzed, felt lighter because of the interaction. **Did I really like that or is this conversation just screwing with my mind?** **What** _ **do**_ **I want? What** _ **do**_ **I need?** Her brain was spinning with the decisions that had to be made and Thea just wanted to go back a few moments. It was so much nicer when his being surrounded her; when her only solid thoughts were a litany of his name.

"You'll also have to consider what this will mean for us, what it will make us."

She knew what he meant without him saying it. **Incest.** Just thinking the word made Thea feel all twisted up inside. He was right, though; if she accepted what he was offering her, it wouldn't be just the whole dominance and submission aspect, there would also be the taboo of it, the lying and the secrets. She and Oliver would never be normal. They could never go on a coffee date. They could never hold hands in public. They would be incestuous. God help them both if they were ever found out! It was wrong. So far, they'd done nothing that the two of them couldn't just awkwardly wave away. If ever there was a moment to gracefully bow out and save them both, this was it.

But then Thea looked at him and she knew there was no decision to be made. No mysterious 'they' had any right to put any restriction on Thea and Oliver's relationship. There were only a few people who had any input on how the two lived their lives and of those people, only the opinions of herself and Oliver needed to be considered in regards to this choice. **So what if it is incest? So what if it is wrong by society's standards?** Society wasn't going to be involved in this; only they were. She wasn't about to let arbitrary rules tell her who she couldn't be involved with, who she could not give her whole heart to. **This is our world, our lives. Fuck the labels.**

"I have thought about it. I've given it all serious thought." Her voice was confident and sure; humble had never really been an adjective used to describe her. "I know what we'll be risking, morals and laws we'll be breaking. I don't care if you don't."

His eyes wrinkled a bit at the corners, "You jump, I jump, remember?" The quote from _Titanic_ had been an inside joke of sorts between them since childhood. A phrase to remind themselves that, when they felt their most alone, someone would always have their back. It felt right that the quote should be used now at such a momentous moment.

Her smile was completely sincere as she stated, "I want all that you are willing to give me, Ollie."

Something in him shifted as the sentence concluded. His shoulders lifted with a lightness and his face relaxed. He beamed at her and stood up from his chair with the quickness of an eager child. "Wait here." It was not a request.

Her eyes rolled in good humor. **Where would I go?** Before she could even begin to let her mind wander, Oliver was coming back out the basement door with something in his hand. He came up to her and held the device out.

"I thought it hadn't occurred to you that I might be interested?"

Awkwardly, Oliver scratched at the back of his neck. "Okay so, maybe I'd had a small hope. I prepared this on the off-chance... It will be ours. Only turn off airplane mode when absolutely necessary to download books or whatever...that way nothing on it can be tracked. Anything we want to share with each other: notes can be written in the word documents section, pictures can taken and saved, what have you. We'll just leave it for each other when we need to do so." Sending texts on their phones could be tracked by their cellular companies or internet service providers. If this device wasn't connected, they would be safe. It was very smart...and very unlike Oliver to be so forward-thinking.

"That's very well thought out." Thea praised, "Who told you about all this internet stuff?"

"I could have thought of it myself."

"Could have," she allowed, "but you didn't."

He grumbled slightly, his shoulders falling a little as he admitted, "Okay so I met a girl."

"A sub girl?" Thea guessed, feeling a ball of...something unpleasant and dark burning in her stomach. She didn't like it. Needing to focus on something else, the eighteen-year-old grasped the citron yellow thing and brought it to herself, flipping the cover back to reveal the standard screensaver of the Kindle HD 6. She swiped at the screen; it wanted a PIN.

"The password is 8432." He commented idly and she typed it into the electronic book. Within a second, the carousel was displayed. "And, yes, she is." Thea kept her green eyes on the device, idly spinning the four items there over and over again. "She was the second submissive I matched with after I attended a speed match dating event for the lifestyle. Her name is Felicity, she's a great girl." That made her frown… **Does he still talk to her?** "She's really invested in the value of technology."

Thea raised her gaze, aware that if she kept looking at the screen it could make things awkward. "Are you and she..." She trailed off, afraid that by simply asking the question Oliver would think she was a jealous bitch. She wasn't sure how the dominance and submission thing dealt with someone having multiple partners. Some of her internet research had indicated that some Dominants had multiple submissives. **Is that what Oliver wants? Am I about to be one among many?**

His blue eyes glared at her for a few seconds, "If I were seeing Felicity, we would _not_ be having this conversation." She flushed slightly under the anger; no offense had been meant by inquiring. "If we do this, Thea, you will be mine and I will be yours, only yours." He smiled softly and all of the negative feelings she'd been experiencing disappeared in an instant. "What's mine is mine. I don't share and I would not expect you to share either."

"But if she's ' a great woman,' why aren't you having this talk with her?"

"Yeah, she is and we would make great friends," Oliver allowed, "but she desires a dominant with a different mentality then myself, and I..." He reached out and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger lightly. "Deep down, I was waiting for you." His eyes were utterly soft and warm as he looked down into her face, "None of my matches were going to be good enough. They weren't you, Speedy."

"Only I am me."

He nodded in agreement, "the one and only."

Suddenly, Thea wanted to lean into his warmth again, let him hold her. It was a bit frightening, how much she wanted to let him take care of her. She had always taken charge of herself. The desire to relay upon Oliver felt weird and unsettled her greatly.

After a few seconds, Oliver seemed to shake himself out of the soft moment. "I want you to read everything in the carousel in the order it appears on there." Her attention turned back to the screen. It had gone dark with sleep; she turned it back on and re-entered the PIN. She looked at the selected items: a word document, two books, and another word document.

"Two books?" Thea said, her voice taking on some whininess.

He chuckled and unwound the strand of hair from around his finger, patting her cheek softly. "Reading is not so bad, little sister."

She slid the first book into place, _Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook_. "Can't you read them to me, Ollie?"

"I think we'd become far too distracted if I did so."

She smiled weakly, "Had to give it a shot."

"How about this then?" He proposed, "as soon as you finish reading both books, including my notes inside, and the documents, I'll give you your birthday present."

Her eyes lit up. "Present?"

A curt nod, "But only once you've read all that I've assigned you."

His choice of words amused her. "What are you, my teacher? Assigning homework?" She let out a feigned huff of frustration as she flipped the cover over the Kindle to turn it off. "Fine, I'll read it all...but you better make it worth my while, Ollie."

He chuckled deeply and Thea barely resisted the urge to squirm in response. "I could be your teacher, if it means I'll get to see you in that little schoolgirl outfit of yours, little sister." Without warning, Oliver grasped her bare arms and pulled her close again. Her hands braced against his chest as he leaned down and captured her lips. His voice was breathless as he pulled back, "You won't regret a second of it, I promise."

That night, as Oliver's hand settled on her lower back and led her out into the evening air, with the Kindle clutched to her chest, Thea realized she'd just made a life changing decision. It was scary and yet thrilling. So very thrilling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** I hope you all liked this chapter, doves!


	6. Chapter 06

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Season One AU] That island changed Oliver Queen, changed what he needed from life. Thea Queen didn't know what was going on with him, but she knew she needed to find out. He was a mystery that she was intent upon solving no matter what it took. But when she finally figures it out everything she has ever known will change. Is she ready for his reality?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- Italicized words are emphasized words.  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by **Fifty Shades Of Grey**.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

If it were an ideal world, Thea probably would have made her way through all of Oliver's assigned readings in a couple of days. Unfortunately for Thea, her life has never been ideal; between school, homework, working with Laurel, working at Verdant and dealing with decisions about her future, there wasn't much time left for recreational reading. That was why it took her nearly three weeks to read everything. The first document was simply a note from Oliver, once more reiterating that if at any point she was unhappy or changed her mind, all she had to do was say so. Thea had actually rolled her eyes reading it. He had made it abundantly clear that she need not be afraid to speak her mind. **I'm never one to hold my tongue** , she thought, confused as to why he assumed that would change with the shift in their dynamic.

After that quick note, Thea had started upon the books given to her. First was the volume entitled, _Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook_. It was an odd manuscript and certainly not what she expected to find within a tome baring that title. It imparted information and yet had humorous slants to keep the mood light when things got simply too heavy. While, at some times, she thought the digital book leaned slightly more towards the male perspective, she could see why Oliver had chosen it as reading material for her.

Then it was onto the third item in the carousel, _Submissive Training: 23 Things You Must Know About How to Be a Submissive. A Must Read For Any Woman in a BDSM Relationship (Women's Guide to BDSM.)_ Unlike the first one, this chaptered book was certainly from the female perspective and while it lacked the humor to break up the intensity of the topic, it was very direct about what basically could be expected in such a relationship. Of the two publications, Thea preferred this one. Even though she'd gotten a wealth of information from her comprehensive internet searches, these books helped provide her a focus, a way to weed out the ridiculousness of all the internet muck. After all, there was so much online and very little of it could be trusted. Thea hated to admit it, but Oliver was right to insist she read the books. Now, she was positive that she wanted into the BDSM lifestyle; she could be what Oliver needed. It was nice to feel so sure on such a complex decision.

Last and undoubtedly most important, the document labelled 'Rules' on the carousel. It was just barely two pages in length and had seventeen points on it. She'd read all of them once, twice, three times; some of the rules made her bristle, others inspired a blush, and some just made sense in an odd sort ofway.

Rules: _(I have reasons for all of these and, if you want, I can explain my reasoning to any and/or all of them.)_

When in Playroom:

01) Address Oliver with the title of Big Brother; Thea will be addressed as little sister.

02) While waiting for Big Brother to arrive, little sister, nude unless otherwise told, must adopt the Back on Heels position (knelt on floor with ass on her heels) with her wrists crossed behind her back, facing the staircase with eyes lowered.

03) Before any interactions begin in Playroom, little sister must recite her safe words (Red = stop, Yellow = pause and reevaluate, Green = great) to Big Brother.

04) Little sister may request knowledge of any toys Big Brother wishes to use upon her and what he intends to do with the toys.

05) After any play with toys has concluded, little sister must clean and sterilize the toys.

06) If the sheets of the bed have been dirtied during play, little sister and Big Brother must change them. Little sister must then take and wash them, storing them away.

07) If Big Brother chooses to collar little sister, the collar must be worn during all time in the Playroom. It is to be placed on and removed from little sister's neck by Big Brother only.

When not in Playroom:

08) The titles of the Playroom should only be used sparingly if at all around others for the sole purpose of pointing out an action or discussion that will later be brought up during playtime.

09) Both Big Brother and little sister must attempt to keep the other relatively informed as to their daily plans.

10) No communication regarding this new dynamic is to be shared with anyone else or through text message. Vague instructions may be texted to little sister if the need should arise, but nothing should be outright discussed. Exception to this rule is number eleven.

11) Every outfit selection by little sister must be approved by Big Brother. Little sister is to text him a picture and he will respond with a Y or a N. If given an N, little sister must continue to change outfits until she receives a Y from Big Brother. Only the outfit worn to school (as it is regulation and worn every school day) is exempt from this rule.

12) If collared in the Playroom, little sister will receive a discreet day collar that is to be worn at all times outside of the Playroom and may in certain situations be removed by little sister when necessary.

Other Rules:

13) Drugs and alcohol are not to be consumed by little sister without the approval of Big Brother.

14) If anything is ever wrong with little sister that will a) affect her Physical and mental health, b) cause her grievous bodily harm, c) endanger the secret, Big Brother must be told as soon as possible.

15) If ever there comes a time when either Big Brother or little sister decides that this is not working for them or that they just want out for whatever reason, the dynamic change will be abolished.

16) The rules may be updated, altered, or added to at any time by either Big Brother or little sister. Both must approve any alterations made to this document.

17) Remember, first and most importantly, this is about love. I love you, Thea, and I always will.

The 'titles' appealed to her in a way that she was ashamed to admit and she was surprised to find that they appealed to him too. The second rule had her curious so she attempted to adopt the pose specified, while she read the list, and surprisingly, it wasn't difficult or hard. It was a little awkward for her, but not insurmountable. The idea of being made to clean the toys used and the filthy sheets lit her imagination up like a Christmas tree. **What toys will he use? How will he use them?** The various ways that the fabrics could get messed up made her flush and squirm a little, but she forced herself not to get carried away in the what-ifs.

The outside of the playroom list was very common-sense for the most part. It was the eleventh decree that really stood out. Why would he want final say in her daily outfits? The top of the list stated that he had reasons for all of the guidelines, but what could his reason be for that rule? She made a mental note to ask about that one and continued with the list.

The final section started with a regulation that she really should have seen coming. After all, he had pilfered her stash on his first night home and that look he gave her when she was arrested. **Yeah, I should have seen that one coming.** The other thing she took note of was Oliver's unwritten, but very obvious concern about this change hurting her. That she really didn't understand. **If I didn't want this I would have said so.** Personally, she thought her words, and kisses, were bright neon signs of obviousness, but apparently it was weighing heavily upon Oliver's mind. She'd have to find some way to convince him that she was consciously making this decision of her own volition. She wasn't doing this simply because he wanted her to. Everything he offered her she wanted. **What isn't clear about that?** She shook her head; that was a puzzle for another day.

Quickly, Thea typed something into the document and hit save before picking up the small device and padding out of her room on bare feet. It was almost two o'clock in the morning, but Thea paid no mind to that. She had finished Oliver's task and she wasn't about to wait until morning to share that information with him.

Outside of his door, Thea hesitated. _Knocking isn't just a suggestion_ ; he'd told her that and she'd ignored it in the past because turnabout was fair play, but now things were different. **Should I be polite and knock?** It would certainly prove that she could listen and change accordingly. He hadn't put knocking in his list of rules though. **Doesn't that mean I'm free to do as I wish?** Frustrated that she was debating such a simple thing, Thea decided to just go for it. She put her hand on the doorknob and turned it, stepping inside without announcing herself.

He was seated on his bed leaning up against the headboard, legs crossed at the ankles. Her brain immediately took note of how the long sleep pants hung on his hips and the eighteen-year-old was sorely tempted to roll her eyes at herself. **Stupid libido!** The door gave a quick click as it shut behind her.

As she watched, his eyes ran over her from head to toe, taking in her pajamas. "Sup, Speedy?" He asked as his blue eyes met her green gaze.

"No one really says _that_ anymore either," she informed with a teasing smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she bridged the gap between them. "I finished my reading." There was an odd sort of pride that she felt in proclaiming that. She held out the Kindle and he took it with a blank expression. He typed the PIN into the device and tapped the last document open. His eyes scanned her alteration to the final rule. _I love you too, Ollie._

"So you have." Oliver's eyes wrinkled at the corners as he smiled, sitting the Kindle down on his lap, "Any questions? Anything you would like to change?"

She hopped up onto the bed next to him, sitting beside his calves and folding her legs Indian-style. "Yeah, you get final say on my outfits, why? I am more than capable of choosing my own clothes, in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh," he said, his eyes taking on that inexplicable gleam again, "I've noticed." For a second or two, there was an electricity to the air, as if they were on the precipice of something, but what? Thea hoped it was abandoning all this serious conversation in favor of more kissing. It had been two weeks since that night in the club and they'd only snuck one quick kiss since...and it hadn't even been that deep of one! She was beginning to think she'd just imagined those scant moments of illicit closeness.

Whatever it was, the moment soon passed and Oliver was answering her question with a level of heartfelt honesty that she would never have expected from him. "As for the why of it...I'm determined to prove to you that you don't need those clothes." He reached out and pulled her closer causing her to fall rather clumsily forward and onto his leg a little. Instinctively she righted her posture once more.

"I don't know what goes on in your head, Speedy, to make you think you need daring clothes to stand out or get attention, but you don't." He caressed her cheek slowly, "You get attention because you're you, Thea, not because of what you wear." His hand fell down her cheek to her neck before leaving her skin entirely. "Hopefully with this rule, you'll see what I mean one day and then I won't have to veto any of your outfits. You'll start making wise choices on your own."

For a second, the younger Queen was stunned silent under the weight of such an astute observation, and from someone who only took one psychology class in his limited college career too! **Do I really read like an Introduction to Psychology case study?** She'd always thought she was beyond the trappings of ordinary, not quite extraordinary, but not average either. Yet, here he was, back only a few months, and already he had her figured out. It was a horrible feeling and she couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth even if she had wanted to do so. "You don't know me, not anymore."

"No," He admitted easily enough, "I don't know all of you and I doubt I ever will." She met his eyes then and the nasty feeling faded away, vanished like a shadow cast away with the return of the light. "I would like to be the person who knows you best, though."

"You...probably already are, Ollie." She said with a little self-deprecating laugh chasing her words.

"I will make that probably vanish," he promised, his face as carefree as she'd seen it since he'd come home. "You have more questions I'd think, but might I give your birthday present now? I've been waiting to give it to you for-"

Thea cut him off suddenly, reverting to child-like innocence at the mere mention of a gift. "Present!" Her exuberance was without containment. It had taken her fourteen days to peruse those books and every time that she began to lose focus on why it was important to read the volumes so thoroughly, she'd thought of the mysterious present. **What can it be?** Given that it required her to be knowledgeable about BDSM, she figured it dealt with that, but what was it? Rules seven and twelve had provided her with a promising possibility, but everything she'd read, in the assigned material and online, said that collars were most often gifted after the Dominant was sure that the submissive was a good fit. Neither of them had any way to know that yet so she was pretty sure her present wasn't a collar.

He chuckled at her reaction before reaching over to his left bedside table and pulling out a box, no wider than a envelope, wrapped in reflective gold paper. Fleetingly she thought, **it would be shame to tear that to bits** , but that didn't stop her from ripping the paper into confetti as soon as the container was in her hands.

"Like a little kid on her first real, present-getting Christmas," Oliver muttered under his breath in good humor. His fingers on her wrist stopped her before she could remove the lid from the pristine white box. "Before you open it, you should know we wouldn't be able to use what it contains this weekend...or for a while actually."

"Why not?"

He said nothing, but turned towards the box. She figured it was nonverbal direction. The lid folded in upon itself a little as she took off and set it aside without a glance. There were various slips and folded papers inside. The flight plan of the Queen jet was on familiar stationery and, when unfolded, revealed the passengers as Oliver and herself and their destination: New York City. Of course, she'd been to the popular city a couple of times in her life, but they'd always been short, business-related trips with her parents. She'd never had the chance to see the bright, rambunctious city like she wanted; never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or seen the New York City Ballet perform.

Sure enough, as she set down the itinerary for the flight, next in the box were two balcony tickets to the ballet. There was no performance information upon them, but Thea didn't care what they were to see. To her, dancing was a pure art form that allowed for a greater more meaningful expression of one's true depths. She'd started taking ballet lessons when she was three and she'd continued...until the Gambit disappeared. No one had even noticed that she'd given up her ballet classes then. Nor did they seem to remember that she had taken them at all. **Oliver remembered.**

Tears sparkled in her eyes as she set the tickets beside the plane's documentation and removed the last slip of paper. A reservation for the Deluxe Rose Suite at the Plaza hotel was confirmed on the folded sheet. She placed it down beside the rest of her gift and gave her attention to Oliver once more. He raised his hand halting her words before she knew what she was to say.

"When I originally planned these items for you, I was planning on a fun getaway, just you and me. A chance for us to really reconnect, but before I could give it to you, everything got so crazy and then you called me out on my secret as if it were nothing." The slight hint of amazement in his voice brought her pride. She was capable of being a surprise to him, which was good; she'd hate to be predictable.

"You've read and learned about all of this and you're still here, still all in with me. It's more than I could've ever hoped for." He shifted marginally so now there was more firm contact between their bodies. "My plan has always been, once I found my submissive, to make sure she knew that our bond wasn't solely for the Playroom. I would take her out make her feel pretty and loved, desirable beyond just our roles in that room." He sighed then and scrubbed a hand over his face. **He must know that he lost me somewhere in this explanation.** He reached out and tugged her onto his lap, successfully displacing the careful stack she had made with her gifts. She settled back, right shoulder blade meeting his left shoulder, as his arms encircled her waist. "With you, though, going out on dates must be far out of town and fewer as a result."

Now, she understood, but she couldn't resist teasing him just a little. "Oliver Queen, are you asking me out on a date?"

His eyes shined bright as he replied, "Yes, I am, Miss Queen."

"I accept."

"Oh, good." There was a small amount of good humor mixed in with the relief he couldn't keep from his voice. **Did he honestly think I would say no?** "But we can't take this trip for six months."

"Why not?"

"Because someone got herself arrested and part of her parole agreement states that she can't leave the state of California for half a year."

"Oh." To be honest, once she snapped out of her angry-at-the-world fog, she'd just signed the agreement without reading it. She hadn't needed to; she trusted Laurel's legal prowess enough to sign the document blindly. If there was one thing that the eldest Lance daughter excelled at, it was doing the best for her clients.

With a single finger under her chin, Oliver tipped her head up slowly. "Hey, as much as I hate to admit to it, there was a bright side to the danger you put yourself in. Without the threat of jail time, we wouldn't be here having this discussion."

"Besides, I paid good money to make all of those things moveable," he said, nodding towards her gifts, "it would be a shame if we used them right away, wouldn't it?" She decided she quite liked this relax, playful, Oliver; he seemed happy and that was all she'd really hoped for him. "Don't worry, Speedy, I have other plans for us this weekend." He hesitated for a moment before tacking on a few words to lower any expectations she might have. "It won't be as glamorous as New York...and you'll be skeptical I'm sure, but-"

She groaned, "Just tell me, Ollie."

"We're going camping!"

* * *

Thea stared at the beautiful cabin in front of them as Oliver put the surprisingly rugged car in park, just outside the closed garage door. The red wood of the three-floored house seemed to shine with the afternoon sun's slow descent towards the horizon. It was a massive cabin and Thea had to tip her head upwards to see the staircase that she suspected led to the main entrance.

"When you said camping, I thought you meant camping, like in tents," She commented as she undid her seatbelt without taking her eyes away from the view that was their rented residence for the weekend, "like that absolute horrendous trip we all took when I was ten?"

Oliver laughed, "Oh my God, I totally forgot about that!"

She turned slightly in her seat to give him her best disbelieving look. "How could you forget the trip from Hell?"

Their mother had gotten it into her head that they weren't like other families so she'd decided to rectify that by declaring they were all going to go camping as a family. Despite having purchased top-of-the-line camping equipment, the trip had been a horrible disaster. Individually, they all suffered some kind of bad happening: their father had gotten stung by a bee, Oliver had tripped into a huge puddle, their mother had fallen into some poison ivy, and Thea had gotten lost in the woods for fifteen minutes after taking a bathroom break. It was the thunderstorm that really made it their worst family vacation ever. A bolt of lightning broke a huge tree branch off near their new tent and when it fell, the branch ripped a huge hole in the roof and then it proceeded to downpour for hours on end. They'd all ended up wet, tired and miserable the next morning. It had been horrible.

"How did Mom get you to go on that trip anyway?" Thea asked as she pulled on the door handle next to her hip. The cold air, freezing ever so slightly more thanks to their increased altitude and the possible snowstorm they heard might hit, was bracing and Thea almost wished Oliver had given her more than a few hours of notice so she could go shopping for clothes more suited for a California mountaintop in February. She hopped out of the car before she could think twice. "Did she bribe you or something?"

His car door shut behind and hers followed suit just to make the annoying beeping stop. "Did you ever stop to think," Oliver opened the rear door and started to unload their bags, "that maybe I wanted to go on that trip?"

"No," Thea answered honestly. "Because you were twenty years old and loved being out on the party scene so no, it never occurred to me that you might have gone of your own free will." She opened the rear door on her side of the car as well and began unloading things. **Two people, three days, two nights and this many bags...** Sometimes they just couldn't help being stereotypical one percenters.

"She used her clinching line on me."

Thea racked her brain trying to figure out what it was their mother could have said back then. It certainly wasn't the line she'd been hearing for the past five years. _Do you really think this is what they would want for you?_ She took a wild stab in the dark, "Because I said so?" **That's, after all, a parenting classic, right?**

He removed the biggest suitcase, hers obviously, and brought all of the luggage to her side of the car before he answered. "What would a good brother do?"

Thea flinched. Ouch. That one was almost as painful as the mantra she'd heard since the Gambit's loss and she bristled at having been used as a tool of manipulation against him. "I'm sorry, Ollie." Clumsily, with a duffle bag in her right hand, Thea tried to give him a one arm apology hug.

He chuckled a little, setting down his numerous bags, "Nothing for you to be sorry for, Speedy." His lips dropped from her hair to her forehead and he pressed a small kiss there. "You have always been my weakness; it's just how it is." She tipped her head back a little so she could see his face, hoping not to see regret there. There was no trace of regret; only love.

Thea was unsure whether or not to make the first move. Thea leaned up slightly and kissed him gently, not wanting to presume too much. It always surprised her how unique kisses were; each and every single one, unique like a snowflake, without the ability to be repeated. She was determined to remember every single kiss they share because they were all breathtaking in their own way.

His lips moved slowly at first, taking direction from her, but soon the mere touch was not enough. In that moment, with his body pinning her to the closed car door, Thea was happily lost in a haze of **Ollie** , **warm** , **harder** , **love** , and **safe**. Whether she should or should not have initiated the kiss was a concern burned away in the fire of her mind as he deepened their lip-lock, their tongues meeting briefly. He pulled back first, the sound of him taking a much needed breath of air was like the gasp of a man dying. Her head came to rest on the car door, not because the support was necessary, but simply because she worried that if she even slightly leaned towards him, she'd end up stealing another kiss. _**Oxygen**_ _,_ she was forced to remind herself _,_ _ **is a vital necessity; drowning in the touch of his mouth, on the other hand, is not.**_

"You know what's weird?" Thea hedged. The look of sarcastic disbelief he gave her, as if to say _besides our entire lives_ , had her momentarily distracted. She bent down and scooped up as much of their luggage as she could carry. "This doesn't feel weird to me."

His smile was slight, but genuine as he replied, "I know. We should get inside," Oliver advised, his voice delightfully rough, "its cold out and you aren't wearing the best clothes for this weather."

Together the two of them took all of their bags, Oliver carried a bit more then Thea of course, and started up the lengthy staircase to the front door. He set the heavier luggage down and took a keychain from the ink-black mailbox next to the entrance. He slipped the key inside the lock and pushed the door open. "Ladies first," He said as he bent down and picked up the items again.

She maneuvered her way through the door into the cabin and set down the heavy load in her arms unceremoniously. "Wow." She said, her eyes sweeping over the room in its entirety. It was a massive area, with the furnishings and cleanliness of a place cared for with pride. From what she could see, the first floor appeared to sectioned off by half walls, if at all. To her immediate right was a long dining table with matching chairs below a modern-art style chandelier. Just beyond that was an L-shaped sofa and other living room furniture on hard wood floors in front of a fireplace in that corner that was already lit and warmed the room. Behind the armchair and the end of the dining table was a shining kitchen that Oliver headed straight for as he entered the cabin behind her.

"Why don't you take our bags upstairs while I unpack the groceries?" He suggested as he set the cooler down on the white marble countertop. Thea nodded and turned half a step to the left before she took the staircase two at a time up to the second floor.

There were several doors on both sides of the hallway that she opened and peered inside. Four of the rooms were bedrooms and she chose to set their bags down in the most comfortable-looking suite. The bed frame was made of a darker wood and was accented by the red-orange bedspread atop the king-size mattress. She kicked off her shoes quickly and let her toes flex into the fluffy egg-shell colored carpet before going over to the dresser.

Eager to explore more of the large rental cabin, but knowing that if she didn't do so now, her suitcase would never get unpacked. She wasn't about to root through her bag all weekend either. So, reluctant though she was, Thea loaded three of the six drawers in the dresser with her clothing and put all her other stuff on top of it. They would be put away later.

Out of the corner of her eye, Thea caught sight of something as she exited the chosen bedroom. Unable to resist the temptation to do so, the eighteen-year-old approached the hardwood ladder at the end of the hall. She climbed quickly and pulled herself up onto the third floor. It was one large room with plush, dark carpet and beanbag chairs. There was a massive screen along the wall adjacent from the staircase and a high-end popcorn machine and mini refrigerator, no doubt stocked with drinks, sat underneath the projector on the back wall. "Wow," she said, going back down to the second floor.

She leaned over the banister, gripping it tightly in the process, "This place is amazing, Ollie!" Thea shouted down to him as she ran down the stairs, "There's so many rooms and the entire third floor is huge media room."

He came out of the kitchen, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder. It was evident that he was proud of his choice in rental cabins. She came down the last few steps and rounded the banister so that she was in front of him. He tipped his head down ever so slightly in order to meet her eyes. "I'm glad you approve, Speedy."

"What's this for?" She teased in good humor, snatching the blue and white checkered dishtowel from his shoulder. She ran it through her fingers and gracefully maneuvered it around. "Trying to seduce me with it?" She walked backwards in the direction of the kitchen as she spoke.

"What?" The word was choked by a confused laugh as he followed her step-for-step. "How would I even begin to do that?"

 **Did he never see that FRIENDS episode?** "Never mind," Thea said, hopping up on the counter, "it was a stupid joke." She twisted the towel around her fingers absently as she looked over the variety of ingredients on the island. "Ollie, are you trying to cook?"

Nervously, Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not trying," He mumbled, "I am cooking. It's almost dinner time."

"Do you even know how to cook?" Her voice was soft as she asked the question. It wasn't a judgement upon him. They'd simply spent their entire lives in a full staffed home. He would have had no reason to cook for himself, or anyone else for that matter.

"Yes." He replied defensively and then after a few seconds, "No, not really, but how hard could it be?"

Thea chuckled, hopping off of the counter again. "Very hard." She approached the island, pursuing the items laid out more carefully. It was a variety of utterly random ingredients, but there were a couple of meal choices that she could make out of them. Her green eyes shifted from the marble top to her older brother who looked slightly embarrassed. "Take a seat," she said, nodding towards the barstool on the other side of the counter, "I got this."

"Do _you_ know how to cook?"

She smirked, "I do, as a matter of fact."

He slid into the seat she'd indicated and, in order to prevent silence from befalling them, Thea began to explain. "Mom was busy a lot after... so usually it was just me and the staff in the house before and after school." She shrugged as she began to clean and dice the tomatoes. "So I spent time with nearly every member of the house staff, learning what I could. It gave me something else to focus on." She'd also been a little concerned that, with her as the only one using the services of the house staff, they would be let go and she'd be left to her own devices.

When she finished up with the tomatoes and looked up, Oliver had the face of someone who pitied her; it was an emotion that she was an expert at reading now. It was wrong for him to be looking at her in such a way. While she might not know the details of what he'd gone through, Thea knew that it was so much worse than anything she'd ever experienced. He shouldn't pity her. "Hey," She said, pointing at him with the knife, "don't do that. I'm glad I learned what I did."

"So am I," He said with a gentle smile, "We'd have to suffer through my attempts to cook otherwise."

The two of them fell into an easy, relaxing conversation after that. It was odd, how with his secret now shared between them, no longer were their discussions awkward or stilted. Where once he would have carefully chosen his words, now Oliver spoke freely. Where once Thea would have debated what was okay to say, now she could say whatever without fear. The meal was made and consumed all while they discussed anything that popped into their minds. It was nice and easy; certainly less stressful then dinner at home.

Together the siblings did the few dishes side by side. Oliver washed and Thea dried, stacking the dinnerware back in their places. Thea was reaching over to place a sauté pan in an upper cabinet when suddenly she was splashed with soapy water. She turned and glared playfully at her brother.

"Oh, it's on." She reached into the kitchen sink and flicked soap bubbles at him in retaliation. He grinned and soon enough they were involved in a heated soap battle. It wasn't until Oliver was hauling her away from the sink, his arms around her waist as they laughed happily, that their task was forgotten.

He finally set her back on her feet after they were clear of the soapy battlefield. He spun her around, smiled, and automatically her hand reached out to brace herself against his chest. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, before he leaned down and kissed her. It was an utterly soft, gentle kiss. She melted against him and the two started towards the staircase.

He held out his hand and without a thought, she took it. There was no doubt with Oliver because, no matter what he wanted or how kinky it might be, he was always going to be her brother. With the other men whom she had shared a bed, she'd been plagued with concerns. What did they expect of her? What would happen after it was over? She wasn't concerned about those things with Oliver. He'd been completely honest in explaining his desires and she was safe in the knowledge that, even if they failed to mesh in this endeavor, she would still have him in her life. Nothing would change that.

At the top of the stairs, Thea led the way into the bedroom she'd selected earlier. As soon as they were through the doorway, Oliver lifted her up, his arms holding her up for only a second as her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively. She grinned brightly, finally taller than her older brother for a second, before she bowed her head and captured his lips. Her whole body buzzed from the simple touch and Thea couldn't imagine ever kissing anyone else ever again. He was her only drug now.

He set her down on the bed softly, his body moving to cover hers automatically. The kisses were urgent, desperate, but not rushed. His hands slid up from her hips slowly, his palms leaving a trail of fire on her stomach under her t-shirt. Her lungs were desperate for air when he finally pulled away. Before she could protest the loss, he was using his hands beneath her shirt to push it up and when the cotton was bunched at her shoulders, she leaned up slightly, and raised her arms to make it easier for him to remove it.

Suddenly insecure in a way that she'd never felt before, Thea put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him back in. Their tongues tangled together in the dirtiest dance that she could manage. **He can't judge me if he isn't looking at me**. However Oliver wasn't distracted for long and midway through the kiss she felt his thumbs sweep over her nipples under the blue lace of her bra. It sent small shockwaves through her body.

He placed a small chaste kiss on the corner of her lips before his attention turned to her chest. His mouth dropped across the top of her small breasts, first the right and then left, in an arching shape. Then his tongue repeated the motion over her heart.

"Your skin is fucking delicious," his voice was utterly wrecked as he spoke. A wave of heat washed over her. _**He is so very different.**_ _ **How did I get so lucky?**_

Unable to resist any longer, she reached down and tugged him up to her again. After another quick kiss, her hands deftly undid the buttons on his shirt. She didn't wait for him to slip his arms out of the sleeves. Her fingers were itching with the desire to touch skin and this time she didn't have to stop herself. Greedily, she sought every inch of the skin she could reach. Needing ever more, she surged upward and kissed down his neck. There was headiness to brushing her lips across his skin. The warmth, the smell of him. Her tongue snuck out and licked tentatively at his pulse point; a smile graced her lips as he trembled beneath the sweeping motion.

The result was so wonderful that there was no resisting the urge to push even further. She sucked a bruise into his skin along his collarbone and was rewarded with a wonderfully deep moan from above her head. "Whoops?" It was a pathetic lie and based on his grin, Oliver knew and didn't care.

"Such a bad liar," he mumbled as his fingers splayed along the waistband of her jeans. He undid the button and pulled down the zipper on them without much effort at all and when he hooked his fingers in the loops, she lifted her hips and assisted him in peeling the denim down her legs. A deep, tortured groan was bestowed upon her when the pair where shucked aside and his eyes turned towards her now bared lower half. "No panties?"

"Figured they'd just get in the way this weekend," she informed him with a teasing smile and sure enough, his eyes widened.

"This weekend? You mean…?" She nodded and giggled as he pounced on her, rolling her overtop of himself. "You are…" He didn't finish the sentiment, but he didn't need to. A statement like that could only have a good ending.

"You have absolutely no idea what I am, big brother." She baited, taking advantage of her new position above him on the bed. Her hands ran over every inch of his broad chest, taking a several extra seconds over each of the healed scars that littered his skin. "One day, Ollie," she hedged gently as his breath became slightly shallower under the brush of her fingertips, "will you talk to me about all of this?"

There were several tense moments of silence. Thea was certain he was going to outright deny her request. He'd be well within his rights to do so, but she hoped he wouldn't. Clearly a great deal had happened on that island and Thea just wanted to be his sounding board. **Isn't that what sisters are meant for? Support?** She wouldn't blame him if he kept his secrets though. They were, after all, his.

"It's…not so easy, Thea." Oliver started to say in a soft voice, "It wasn't…I don't know how to talk about it, Speedy…but I'll try." A tentative smile graced his lips and her heart skipped a beat, "I'll try because you asked me to. For you, I would do absolutely anything. You know that, don't you?"

She leaned down and kissed him softly, sucking his bottom lip in between her own, not pulling, just letting it be. Their breath mingled and it felt so intimate that maybe she didn't need the words, 'I am in love with you,' to express herself, but she wanted to say them. Wanted to say them for herself. Aloud. Unrepentant. But she couldn't get them out. Fear froze the words in her throat. **It's too soon.** **It'll scare him away.**

When they pulled apart this time, Thea couldn't stop looking at his eyes. They were so bright, so brilliant, and so very blue. He was happy and it was marvelous to be the cause. Her body burned bright with the passionate fire that had been long denied.

Even after she realized the depths to which she desired him, Thea always imagined their first time together would be frantic and rushed. That was not at all what it was like. In reality, Oliver was studious and singularly focused as he learned her. His palms swept over every curve, every dip, as though he was memorizing her form. It was slow and her body buzzed with a simmering intensity that she'd never felt before.

Guilt bubbled in her stomach as her hands explored his body too. It wasn't fair of her to have assumed that Oliver would be like her other lovers. Those men had been barely more than strangers to her and they had just wanted to use her for their pleasure. It was just fine by her at the time; it got her what she needed so what did it matter if they just shoved her up against a wall and pushed her panties aside? Both the men and Thea achieved their goals in the end.

She should have known Oliver would be different because _they_ were different. They were connected. Even if he were desperate enough to need her so abruptly like those men had, it would still be different. She would still love him and be loved. Oliver had always stood out to her, her big brother was the standard upon which she judged all the men in her life, despite the numerous flaws Oliver possessed. She had never thought he was perfect, but he was perfect for her. Her hands traced over every muscle under his skin as he moved above her. **God, he is beautiful.** So, even though their touches were lingering, Thea was still breathless and slightly mystified when her hands helped him roll the condom on.

"Ready?" A single word, but it bore so much weight. He was offering her one last out, a way to stop this before there was absolutely no going back. Once they did this, they were officially crossing that final taboo line. Thea couldn't have cared less. She wanted this, wanted him.

"So ready," she hesitated only briefly before tacking on the title he'd assigned himself, "big brother." The glimmer that put into his eyes that followed kept any potential awkwardness at bay.

There were no more words exchanged between them. He simply reached down and parted her with his thumb. He slid inside her embarrassingly easy, but she didn't a spare a thought for shame or worry. **Fuck, it's perfectly imperfect.** There was a slight ache because she'd been celibate for so long, which yes, she kind of blamed him for, but he was inside of her. Finally, solidly connected.

He stayed admirably still as her inner walls adjusted to accommodate him. How he knew she needed some time Thea had no clue, but she was grateful for it. His lips, hands and, in a few instances, his tongue distracted her until the discomfort subsided completely. Her hips moved slowly to start them off and Oliver soon took over the rhythm. It was as slow and deliberate as every other action of the night and Thea was quickly ready to flip their positions and once more take control. **I'm not gonna break** , she thought begrudgingly.

As if he could read her mind, Oliver leaned down and planted his fists on either side of her head, crushing some strands of her hair. His lips caught her earlobe briefly before he whispered, "You feel so good, little sister." She shivered. "I'm going to go slow," it was a warning, "take my time with you. Make love to you until you know only my name."

An embarrassingly loud moan was ripped from her throat as his words registered in her brain. "Ollie, please." **Please what?** Even she didn't know what she was angling for anymore. Him to move faster? Thrust harder? Him to stop saying such wonderful, yet naughty things? All of them were possibilities.

Luckily, Oliver didn't ask her for clarification; he simply started to move in earnest. Her legs wrapped tight around his hips, forcing him in even deeper. A guttural moan of pleasure was his only approval of this shift; she took it as a positive sign. With each snap of his hips and the matching forward thrusts of hers, Thea was rapidly losing her ability for coherent thought or action. Her body followed his instinctively, seeking that edge of pleasure desperately and all she knew was him. His eyes, hooded now, his lips parted as his warm breath puffed out, and his skin, a sheen of sweat glistened as she watched his muscles ripple with every move he made. A warm feeling of pride blossomed in her chest.

Then, almost without warning, Thea tumbled over that edge into pleasure. Her orgasm rolled through her and she screamed out his name as though the sound of it was the only thing keeping her anchored to her body. Inadvertently, her inner muscles contracted as she came and Oliver soon followed her into bliss. It was a truly powerful feeling and, though she would never dare say so aloud, it was a not so easy to achieve feeling for her. Only one other man brought her to that particular nirvana before and he'd ended up being a cheating asshole. **Yet Oliver...** A blissful smile graced her features. **Always my exception.**

Carefully and with utter tenderness, Oliver separated their bodies with a sad sigh as he rolled over next to her. He dropped the used condom in the waste basket under the nightstand unobtrusively. His lips ghosted over her shoulder as he whispered, "You okay?"

Her smile was blissful as she turned her head to look at him, "Mm…better then okay, Ollie."

"Good." Together, the two laid there catching their breath and reveling in their post-orgasmic feelings for several minutes. He pulled her to him and she happily rested her head on his chest. She listened to the calming thump-thump of his heart beneath her ear. It was such a relaxing beat that Thea began to drift off to sleep. She'd never been one for cuddling, but it was nice in the moment.

Then she remembered something. "I thought you didn't do vanilla." Her words were slightly slurred by sleepiness, but his chuckle was a sign that he understood what her words.

"I never said that," He ran his hands over her damp hair absentmindedly, "I just said I wasn't sure _only vanilla_ would work for me. You didn't think I'd just…throw you into the deep end, did you?" He kissed her forehead gently, making her feel precious and loved. "I love you, Thea. Of course our first time was going to be just us, no frills."

He reached down and, with one finger, tipped her head up so their eyes met, "You understand, don't you? I wanted our first time to be this because you deserve it." Tears glittered in her eyes, but she refused to be that girl. "I wanted to know you, just you, before we get in deeper, okay?"

She nodded softly and he smiled gently, "Go to sleep, Speedy."

She couldn't have argued with him even if she had wanted to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** So, this is the longest chapter of this fanfiction and probably the longest chapter I've ever written for Queencest. Yay. I hope you all enjoyed the very first taste of NC-17 material in this tale. I am unsure whether the next chapter should be the rest of their mini-vacation or skip ahead to get them back to Starling City. Thoughts, doves?


	7. Chapter 07

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Season One AU] That island changed Oliver Queen, changed what he needed from life. Thea Queen didn't know what was going on with him, but she knew she needed to find out. He was a mystery that she was intent upon solving no matter what it took. But when she finally figures it out everything she has ever known will change. Is she ready for his reality?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Notes/Warnings:**  
>  \- Italicized words are emphasized words.  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by **Fifty Shades Of Grey**.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:**  
>  All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

  

A soft little thud was the very first thing to register in Thea's sleepy mind. The second was the dual scents of bacon and chocolate, making her mouth water before she even realized she was hungry. The third and final thing was the touch of Oliver's hands as he softly traced her minimal curves.

"Come on, Speedy, can't sleep the day away."

"Yes, I can," she said in mock protest. "I excel at it." She turned on her hip, prepared to roll onto his side of the bed and chase that elusive sleep down again, but the motion was halted half way. Her green eyes shot open in response to the metal clink above her head. Her wrists were bound together by silver handcuffs, whose links were threaded through the bars in the headboard.

"Ollie," her gaze slid over to him where he now knelt beside her half of the bed. There was a devilish grin on his lips; she knew the answer before she even asked the question. "Why did you cuff me to the bed?"

"Because I wanted to," He leaned over the edge of the mattress and kissed her right cheek. His hands slid up her arms to the glinting metal. "Are they uncomfortable?" His thumbs swept over the inside of her wrists just below the tight clamp of the cuffs. Her heart fluttered in her chest and her nether regions pulsed with delight.

"They're fine."

Oliver nodded, removing his hands from her body slowly, "Besides, it's breakfast time."

It was on the tip of her tongue to inform him that the two items, breakfast and handcuffing her to the bed, were not mutually exclusive; that one _could_ in fact have breakfast without handcuffs being involved at all.

"Tell me, little sister, what are your words?"

For a second, Thea was confused and she blamed that on her half asleep brain. Her initial thought was: **words?** Then she put it thought. "Red for stop, yellow means pause and green means please keep going."

"Good girl." Those two simple words made her feel odd like standing in warm sunlight. Thankfully, Oliver distracted her before she could over think it. He held a piece of bacon in front of her mouth and her rumbling stomach forced her to forget being witty in favor of biting off a piece of the meat.

"Thought you couldn't cook." She said between bites, watching him carefully as he leaned back a little so she'd have to strain against her bonds to get it. **I am not a dog!**

He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed beside her knees, "it's just bacon and scrambled eggs, Thea, not a four course meal."

"How industrious of you."

Oliver deliberately pulled the almost completely eaten bacon piece away in response to her teasing. "Just for that, I'm eating my meal first."

It was obvious from his tone that he meant that like it would be some sort of retribution for her little joke. It wasn't. As far as mocking threats went, that one was horrible. "Okay, eat your breakfast first." She attempted a noncommittal shrug, but with her hands currently handcuffed to the headboard it was just awkward.

"I'm glad you agree." His knowing smirk set off alarm bells in her head. He was up to something.

She watched, straining her neck a little, as he reached over to a tray that she'd not notice before, on the bedside table and picked up a small, white bowl. He transferred the china to one hand and with his other, plucked a balled melon from a smaller dish on the platter. Her eyes widened slightly as she put his plan together.

"Really, Ollie? Plates piss you off?"

He held the dish over her stomach. Thea had to clench her fists to keep from squirming as she waited for him to do something. Anything.

"No. I just thought you might make a better one." Honey spilled out of the small bowl as he tilted it slightly to its side; she jumped solely because she was surprised by it. **Not** **any** **other reason; nope.** That was her story anyway and she was sticking to it. The slightly warmed liquid drizzled on her stomach slowly. She thought about tipping her head and seeing what he was drawing on her skin, as he moved the dish around above her, but she couldn't look away from his face. There was a tempered sort of glee in his eyes as he tracked the honey's descent with his gaze.

It was in that moment that she truly realized how deep he was into this; how this need to dominate, to control, ran to his very core. He might have had only vanilla before he'd been lost, but it would have never completely satisfied his, apparently, deep seeded need.

He set the bowl down on the tray again and with his other hand, dragged the balled melon through the sticky honey. It felt really weird, feeling the fruit running through the syrup-like liquid on her skin, but not entirely altogether unpleasant. He raised the glistening light green fruit up to his eyes as if he was inspecting it for imperfections. _**Man, am I ever glad that I'm not that melon.**_

Then his tongue licked obscenely at the honey and the eighteen-year-old immediately regretted her previous thought. He popped the melon ball into his mouth and, before he even began chewing it, he had another one in his hand and trailed it through the remaining honey. He dabbed four additional melons in the golden liquid that graced her skin and ate them torturously slowly. By the time, he had finished with them, Thea was undoubtedly awake and utterly aware of everything, but he was nowhere near done. **The bastard.**

"Doing okay, little sister?"

She knew better then to open her mouth and say anything. He was baiting her and she refused to be so easily manipulated. Instead she simply nodded her yes in response to his question.

He grinned, "Good."

Suddenly he had another ceramic dish iand drew an even more intricate design on her torso. She felt whatever it contained drip in swooping lines that not only covered her stomach, but also swirled around and over her chest. It was only when the warmed liquid struck her slightly perked nipples and the scent registered in her brain that she identified his second food torture.

"Melted chocolate? Really, Ollie?" It was such an utter cliché that her thoughts were startled out of her. Surely her big brother was more creative then melted chocolate! The slightly louder clink sound as he set the bowl back on the tray was her first warning of danger. **I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut.** He reached up and tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, despite her best efforts to feign ignorance.

"We will be discussing _that_ later." He held a single finger up in her eye-line.

 **Is he counting off my offenses now? Three strikes and what?** Immediately her mind jumped to the worst case scenario; him giving up on them… on her. **When,** she wondered as her heart squeezed in her chest, **had that become the worst possibility? We've only just barely started this…thing. Why does it hurt to think of him wanting out?** It shouldn't. **I should be able to be glib. But I can't be nonchalant about this because he's him. He's Ollie.** He'd always held an importance in her life that she'd never thought to question. **If he leaves…if he thinks I'm not worth his time…** The thoughts were sending her mind into a tailspin.

"Hey." He grabbed her chin ever so slightly tighter, forcing her to focus on him and not her spiraling thoughts. Once her gaze focused in on his face again, in a soft voice he asked, "Where'd you go there, Speedy?"

She had to swallow around a lump in her throat before answering. "Nowhere."

"Liar."

"It's nothing, Ollie, I promise."

He looked at her, scrutinizing her face for something; a sign that she wasn't as okay as she claimed, perhaps? She was careful to keep her face neutral and eventually he accepted her words as the truth. He released her chin and his hand stroked her cheek softly, "I'm going to finish my breakfast now."

It wasn't a question, but Thea answered him anyway. "Of course." It took everything in her not to layer the response in sarcastic wit, but clearly it would not be appreciated.

He plucked another piece of fruit from the tray on the nightstand, an oddly bright strawberry, and ran it through a straight, vertical, chocolate line on her left hip. The feeling of the fruit's seeds scraping her skin tickled as he dragged it from her top rib to the jut of her hip. Instinctively as giggles bubbled out of her mouth she twitched on the bed.

For a moment, Oliver smiled at her, every inch of his expression the older brother who offered to beat up every person who looked at her in an unpleasant way when she was a child. Her heart skipped a bit to see him so carefree. "Ticklish, Thea?" He need not ask; he was already aware that she was, he'd known it for many years.

She made a face in response and Oliver chuckled; the sound made her want to squirm even more then the scrape of the fruit. The strawberry moved across her skin, making divots in the chocolate sauce. After a few more seconds of it, Oliver finally lifted the berry up and instead of putting it to his lips like she expected, he held it up for her. She opened her mouth a little and he placed the berry's tip between her teeth,

"Bite."

She couldn't resist following the order. The strawberry's sharp flavor mixed with the richness of the chocolate and something else indescribable burst across her tongue. A small moan escaped her as he pulled the fruit away. "Good?"

"Mm..."

"Good."

He took the top half of the strawberry and ran it through the remaining undisturbed path of chocolate on her other hip. It left a trail of sticky red juice through the hardening line, but Thea didn't care. All that mattered to her was the intensity in his eyes and the slightly warm slide of the strawberry.

Once the remaining half was chocolate-coated, he bit off the top and set the greenery in one of the empty bowls on the tray. His tongue licked away whatever stickiness that his breakfast had left behind on her skin. It was a task that he clearly enjoyed if the pleased noises coming from him were anything to go by. She wasn't quite sure when it started, but even she was enjoying acting as his plate. She was fairly certain that said something unpleasant about her; it didn't matter. Three more strawberries were jointly consumed by them before he moved on to his next delight.

It was her fear of getting another point against her that kept Thea from making a comment about the cliché of whipped cream as he picked up and shook the shiny can. He paused briefly, perhaps in anticipation of the comment to which she refused to give voice, before he covered her breasts with the topping.

"Last night," Only two words in and Thea knew where he was heading with that start. He dragged his fingers through the thick dairy substance in a large circle around the very outsides of her breasts. "You tried to keep my attention focused elsewhere. Why?"

 **Does he drag all of his...conquests through their insecurities like this?** The thought was only in her mind for a moment, but it couldn't be banished quick enough to escape the consequences of her musing. Thoughts of Oliver with women had always made Thea uncomfortable. When she was younger, it had been attributed to fear that he would be taken away from her. As she'd gotten older, she had written it off as a little sister being grossed out by the thought of her brother and romanticism. Now, there was a bitter layer atop what had always existed, it was jealousy.

She forced herself to put aside those feelings for another time. He'd asked her a question and his tone allowed for no answer except the truth. She huffed, "Because I was there, Ollie. I was young, not stupid; the women you like share several common factors, but one of the most noticeable was their...attributes." She attempted a gesture to clarify her response, but the clink of metal stopped her. **Right. Handcuffed.** "I'm just not so gifted. Hell, I'm basically one roll of bandage wrap and a short haircut away from being able to reenact _She's the Man_."

His blue eyes turned away from her whipped cream-covered chest then to scrutinize her face. Drips of the heavy cream slid off of his fingers, splattering the skin on her stomach, but neither of them paid any attention to it. When he finally did speak, he was fondly exasperated. "You look nothing like a man, Thea. Your breasts, and every other centimeter of you, are perfect." He kissed her lips again, a balance between pure heat and complete love. "Those others...they may have looked more beautiful to you, but they weren't. Besides none of them had what I need most."

"What's that?"

He reached up with his clean hand and pushed back some wayward pieces of her sleep tousled hair. "You."

It was such a sappy sentiment. If a guy in a romantic comedy had said such a thing, Thea would have left the theatre in disgust. Hell, if anyone else had said that to her, she'd probably be breaking things between them off about now. Oliver wasn't just anybody; it was obvious his words were genuine and her heart swelled with happiness and hope despite her cynical ideologies. It certainly wasn't the first time that her viewpoint on the world would change because of her brother. It would not be the last time either.

Nothing more was said between them as he began the apparently arduous task of licking the melting whipped cream from the top of her right breast. His tongue was oddly warm as it swept over her pale flesh in long arching strokes. If she didn't know better, she might have believed he was trying to paint a rainbow using only his tongue. With the very top of her breast now devoid of the dessert topping, his attention turned to the underside. The same actions were repeated like a mirror image. By the time he lifted his head to meet her eyes once more, her breathing was extremely labored and her body buzzed pleasantly.

To her surprise, instead of licking the dessert topping off of her nipple, Oliver moved and quickly straddled her hips. His calves were on the outside of her thighs and his hands came to rest on each side of her neck. His head bowed again and he repeated the licking motions of before with her left breast, leaving only her nipples hidden from sight.

"Your skin's fucking delicious," He whispered locking gazes with her for just a moment before his head dropped again. This time he licked away the whipped cream with feather light brushes of his tongue that gave her goosebumps all over. The circular licks left the hardening peak completely unattended. It was maddening.

"Ollie," His name was a groan as it left her lips. She felt, more than saw, his responding smile as his lips closed around her nipple. He started her off gently, running his devilish tongue over the whole thing, before he rolled the peak between his teeth. It wasn't painful, but still the sensation sent a spike of lust through her body. Then he started to suck and an actual cry of shocked delight escaped her.

The sound encouraged Oliver; he enclosed his teeth again and pulled a little. While his mouth was busy erasing every trace of insecurity from her mind, his hands were busy moving every line and dip of her upper body. Her entire form bowed off the bed causing the metallic links of the cuffs to clink. He released the glistening pink peak after a few seconds and climbed off of her, to kneel beside the bed again. He repeated the same process on her right nipple and suddenly Thea understood the handcuffs. They were to keep her from trying to control this interaction. **Control freak** , Thea thought, as he lifted his head from her chest; his hands moved to resume the task of paying attention to her unimpressive breasts while he mouthed at her ear gently.

"So responsive, little sister," his breath was warm as it ghosted over the shell of her ear. The noise she made in response was inhuman. "I wonder what would happen if I..." he trailed off as his right hand slipped below her waist. His hand was splayed across her sex for a moment and two of his fingers, one on each lip, started to slide up and down the length. There was no rush to his movements; slow and methodical, delibrate. If he'd not already worked her up so much, Thea would be more inclined to appreciate the thoroughness of his actions. As it was, she couldn't resist bucking up into the touch, desperate for more than teasing.

"No, Speedy," his left arm pushed down on hips until they met the mattress again. He didn't move his hand. "I set the pace. I set the rules." He paused, all movement stilling as his blue eyes locked on her green ones. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"What's your color right now?"

"Green."

With her consent reestablished, Oliver returned his attention to simultaneously worshipping her breasts and running his fingers over her swollen entrance. They slid over her slowly before slipping further inside. His left arm held her hips firmly down. "So wet." His mouth moved from her breast to her lips. The kisses they exchanged were soft and unhurried; a direct contradiction to the increased speed of his fingers as she grew closer and closer to the promised zenith of pleasure.

So, of course, that's when he tore his fingers away from her aching center. Protests died in her brain when he raised his coated fingers to his lips and made a show of licking them clean. The image of him made her whole body buzz; there was no thinking anymore. Just sensations; lots of marvelous sensations. It was new, but so utterly welcome. It was nice not having to wonder, worry or plan. She was okay because she knew that she could trust Oliver to handle everything. She was safe with him.

When he moved to join her on the bed and his mouth drew temptingly near her own, Thea didn't hesitate. She needed to taste. There was just a hint of some foreign flavor in his mouth, but her tongue chased it away in just a few seconds. When he separated their mouths once again, delight fluttered in her stomach as she noted how breathless she'd made him. It was a small thing, yet she felt oddly powerful seeing the effect of her kiss.

"I don't think I can wait until we get home to really play with you, little sister." His hands ran down both sides of her body from wrists to knees. One at a time, he pushed at the joints in each knee with a gentle firmness, that she was coming to associate with him, until her legs were spread wide. Her heart rate spiked immediately.

He slid down the bed until he was comfortably positioned in the space provided by her spread legs. "Maybe a little playtime could be worked into our vacation..."

"Playtime?" **Hadn't we been 'playing' since last night?** **Is that not just a code word for sex?**

He nodded absentmindedly; probably already shifting things around in his mind for this future time. After a moment his attention returned to the situation quite literally at hand. His slightly roughened palms were smoothing up and down the insides of her thighs. The actions made her feel like a slow-to-light glow-stick inside. It was mere instinct that kept her from squirming. All this teasing was driving her mad; the skills to handle it were not within her possession.

No answers to her question were forthcoming; he was far too invested in driving her to the brink of insanity using just his mouth. He started with long sweeps of his talented tongue over the entirety of her sex. Back and forth. Back and forth as though she were ice cream in a cone that he was determined not to lose a drop of. Then he kissed her clit, just a soft brush of his lips, and a strangled noise escaped her as her body bowed under such a gentle touch. There was no comment from him, which would have worried her were she still thinking beyond the moment. Beyond the pleasure.

Instead, he wrapped his lips around the small nub and sucked. Soundless gasps left her mouth over and over as he continued paying attention to the nerve bundle. By the time, his tongue probed her depths, Thea was already verging on the edge of orgasm. The feeling of his tongue inside her sent her headfirst into bliss.

Oliver was crawling up her body when her eyes focused in again. His mouth and chin were glistening with evidence of her release; it was such an erotic sight that an unconscious moan escaped her. She strained upward as he settled in above her.

"What's wrong, little sister?" His grin spoke to the fact that he knew exactly what she sought, but he was enjoying teasing her. **The jerk.**

"Uncuff me...please."

He pretended to consider her request for a moment. "Only because you said please."

He leaned to the left and plucked a small key off the tray. **How much stuff is on that thing?** It took a few seconds for the telltale click of the lock releasing, but as soon as it did, she pulled him down into a filthy kiss. When oxygen became a dire issue, she switched her attention to cleaning his face with her tongue. Now it was his turn to groan.

"Stop."

Thea ignored the single word. He had to be joking; she just got free reign of her hands. She wanted so badly to touch. Her hands skimmed down his arms before running over his chest. She could swear that there was a tremble under her eager palms, but Oliver wasn't willing to indulge her whims.

He grabbed her wrists firmly and pulled her hands away. "Stop, Thea." It was an unwavering order.

She pouted, "But don't you need-?"

"No."

"But-" The front of his blue boxers was obviously tented. He couldn't honestly be denying his need, could he?

He sighed and dropped her hands, "you need to eat your breakfast."

"Can I go to the bathroom first?"

He looked embarrassed by the oversight and quickly climbed off the bed to let her up. "Of course." He gestured to the adjoining bathroom as though she didn't know where it was. She shook her head in good spirits and made her way to the ajar door. He was watching her walk away in all her glory and there were no worries about what he saw or thought; there was only a peaceful hum in her mind. It was _marvelous_.

Once she finished with her morning routine, Thea found herself looking in the mirror. Her hair was all wild, sex mused, after the morning's activities. Her makeup was almost completely gone, but what little did remain, was faded and smudged. She could even see faint chocolate smears on what little of her collarbone was reflected in the glass. **I look like a...woman well fucked.** The thought made Thea blush furiously. She cupped her hands under the faucet and splashed her face until the traces of makeup were gone.

"That warming tray will only keep your food warm so long."

Thea nearly jumped out of her skin as Oliver appeared behind her in the mirror. Taking the not-so-subtle hint for what it was, the youngest Queen padded back into the borrowed bedroom on bare feet. She was quick to wrap the sheet around her naked body and removed the top off the warming tray. Her fork was settled between the empty bowls which had contained the chocolate and honey; it clinked against the ceramic containers as she picked it up. It wasn't until she started eating that Thea realized how hungry she actually was. She was so invested in devouring the slightly warm scrambled eggs and bacon, which had not been under the top, but was still crunchy and delicious, that she didn't notice Oliver failed to follow her out of the bathroom until half of her eggs were gone.

"Do you want some of my breakfast, Ollie?" She called, feeling guilty that she failed to notice his absence. "You didn't eat much." By her recollection he had a few melon balls, and half of some strawberries. That was no breakfast.

As if summoned by her voice, her brother finally exited the bathroom. He snagged a bacon strip from the remaining stack on her plate. "I ate plenty." The wink that followed the statement inspired her new memories to come back. His tongue, his fantastic tongue, doing things to her that she'd only ever heard about.

For a few minutes the siblings fell into a companionable silence. Thea ate her breakfast and tried to force her thoughts to stay innocent. Oliver, on the other hand, began pulling out clothes, first for himself and then for her. She was preparing to argue with him as he rooted through her clothing, but then she remembered the rule: **he gets veto power.** His selecting her outfit just saved them several unnecessary debates. She just ate and watched as he pursued the options that she'd packed. It wasn't as if she was hiding anything that he couldn't know about.

"You weren't kidding when you said you didn't pack any underwear."

The fork froze halfway to her mouth, "why would I joke about that?"

"I don't know why you do half of the things you do, Speedy." He tossed one of his sweatshirts onto her pile of clothes. He explained before she even had a chance to think of a way to inquire, "It's too cold out there for you not to be bundled up."

"We're going outside?" Thea was surprised by the declaration; there was so much to do inside that it hadn't even occurred to her that they would leave their rented residence.

He chuckled, "Yes, Thea. I know spending time outside is repulsive to your generation," She threw a pillow at him in revenge. He made it sound like their age gap was so vast; he wasn't _that_ much older than her. "but we're going outside today. Now, finish your breakfast and go get cleaned up."

Thea shoved another forkful of lukewarm eggs into her mouth to keep from saying something that she might regret. Her research had made it quite clear that orders were par the course, but she hadn't quite gotten used to taking them in stride just yet. A few bites of eggs and two bacon strips later and she was leaving the warmth of the bed for the coolness of the bathroom.

Inside the smaller adjoining room, the bathtub was filled with warm water, bubbles pushing at the large tub's edges, a cup of coffee steaming on the ledge. **Where did that come from?** She smiled at the sight of the prepared pampering. The bubbled water rose to accommodate her legs as she stepped in; it was still delightfully hot. She groaned and submerged her body into the porcelain tub. "Coffee and a bubble-bath," Thea called, picking up the mug, taking a sip with eyes closed in delight, "you're a godsend, Ollie."

"Those cannot be the only reasons."

"Don't go getting cocky on me now." The joke had them both laughing as he sat down on the floor beside the tub; his back was to the opposite side that hers was and their shared Kindle sat on his lap. "So there's something we need to discuss…"

Her heart skipped a beat. He might have used different words, but the sentiment was the same: we need to talk. **I already ruined this.** She nodded softly, eyes dropping to the coffee cup in her hands. The bright red handle stood out harshly against her skin. **You can be mature about this. Just smile softly and agree.** "Okay."

He tapped on the Kindle a couple times and then met her gaze. "We really should have done this before our… breakfast this morning, but," He shot her a wicked grin, "you looked so tempting, I couldn't resist."

"What?" She shook her head, "Ollie, what are you talking about?"

"Hard and soft limits, Thea." He held up the Kindle so she could see the labelled word document on the screen.

"Oh," a relieved breath escaped her. **He's not calling it quits.** "Okay, I can do that. Though I might not know the proper words…"

Together the next fifteen minutes were spent discussing limits while the cooling water washed away the vestiges of Oliver's breakfast. The list of kinks he read off, which he claimed was acquired from the vast depths of the internet though she wasn't entirely sure that she believed that, was astoundingly lengthy and each one that she vetoed made her feel more and more like a prude. She'd always believed she was open-minded and adventurous, but with each hard limit that she set, she began to doubt whether or not that was true.

Luckily, she and Oliver seemed to be on the same page about most of the kinks. It made her feel less like a prude to know that he too wasn't interested in some of the items on the list. Other people, animals, rape play, or scarring were just a few of their shared items within the 'hard limits' column. The one or two points on which their opinions did differ were placed into an additional 'maybe' column for them to discuss at some future point when they were more settled into their new dynamic.

Thea stepped out of the bath and Oliver wrapped a plush white towel from a nearby stand around her mid-section. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her shoulder softly. "You still doing okay?"

She smiled and turned into his arms so he could read the truth in her eyes. "How could I not be? Every step of this has been so thorough, so planned-"

He snorted, "Speedy, none of this was ever planned."

"What?" He'd had rules set out, explained everything she asked of him, and he'd just made sure they'd discussed limits. **How can he say nothing was planned? I've had classes with less structure than this.**

The look on his face was one of immediate regret, but she wasn't about to let him off of the hook. He'd said it, he would have to explain himself. "I spent five long years without any control over my own life, that's the first thing you've got to understand. Everything after the Gambit just… happened to me. No matter what I tried to do to change things, everything always went wrong. When that freighter picked me up, I decided, among many other things, I was going to regain control."

He sighed and the sound of it was so genuinely downtrodden that Thea couldn't help but wrap her arms around him and hug him tight. She didn't know what he'd gone through and, no matter how much he may tell her in the future, she knew she'd never get the entire story, but she did know that it was something unimaginable. Of course he'd felt the need to control everything when he'd been so long deprived of it.

"My plan had been to come home, get settled as best I could, have my playroom constructed, furnished, and then begin the search for my perfect submissive. But then there was you and everything I planned was out the window."

"I didn't do anything." Thea objected against his collarbone. He'd begun his search way before she'd confronted him.

Oliver pressed a kiss into the top of her head before breaking their hug and taking her hand to lead her back into the bedroom. "Oh, but you did." She sat down on the unmade bed while he went over to the dresser and retrieved her hairbrush, putting the Kindle down in its spot as he did so. He climbed onto the bed behind her and started brushing her hair without hesitation. "To you it was nothing beyond what it should have been, I'm sure, but for me, it was like...being struck by lightning. Heart-stopping, terrifying and yet oddly invigorating."

"What was, Ollie? I need some details here."

The brush snagged on some knotted strands near the ends of her hair, but instead of yanking, as she expected he might, Oliver worked the knot through with minimal pain. "Seeing you again for the first time."

"Oh." She'd not yet given much thought to how Oliver ended up in this deeper relationship; she'd been so concerned with her side of this. She was suddenly desperately eager to know his point of view.

"Don't get me wrong, Thea. My first reaction to seeing you was as it should have been. You were at the top of the stairs and I thought of how much you'd grown, but you were still my Speedy at heart. I could see it in the way that you ran down the stairs with that smile." He brushed her hair over her left shoulder softly, "It eased my worries to see you so. You were different in appearance, but you were still my sister. You were the one person I didn't have to worry about having lost in the last five years; we would always be Oliver and Thea."

"But?" Thea prompted softly, shivering as his fingers parted her hair in two halves. He ran the brush from the top of her head on the left side down to the ends of her hair.

"But then you wrapped your arms around me and held on so tight, whispering only for me. The only thing I could think with you _so_ close was… _mine_. The feeling, the certainty of it, was so strong; I was terrified."

"Terrified?" It was so relaxing having someone else touch her hair that her brain went a bit fuzzy around the edges. She couldn't put together a better question then that. **I could get used to this.**

He made a vague noise of agreement, "I was aware that I was a dominant, have been aware of that for a few years now, but I'd never felt those instincts as strongly before. In the moment all I could think of was whisking you away and making you mine. I panicked."

"That's why you were distant. That's why you pulled away." It was a relief to finally have a reason for Oliver's strange behavior in the beginning.

"I needed to move up my timetable then, find a submissive immediately for fear that if I didn't you'd figure me out. I was so scared that I rushed trying to find someone to fill that role. Each moment I didn't I came one moment closer to following my instincts right to you. I knew if you found out you wouldn't be able to see me as anything other than a depraved monster. Disgust shining in your eyes was something I couldn't bear."

Thea couldn't resist turning around quickly to look at him. "I would never _ever_ think you were a depraved monster. Not ever." She leaned forward a little and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, "You're my hero, Ollie, and you always will be, okay?" As she watched, his shoulders sagged slightly with relief. **He's been worrying about this for so long.** If only he'd shared his concern with her sooner, his mind could have been eased earlier. They both stayed silent for a moment, just looking at each other.

He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back around. "You were so tempting, but I was doing the best I could to resist you. Then you just came and called me out on my secret like it was no big deal. You really know how to surprise a guy, Thea."

She laughed, "A girl's gotta have some talent."

"When I asked you to meet me at the club, I honestly had no plans what so ever." He ran her brush through her hair again over and over as he talked, "I put those rules I gave you into words because I thought if I wrote them down I could stop thinking about them. I was never going to give them to you, it was just an exercise to free my mind. As soon as I found my submissive, the file would be deleted and replaced with one for that woman. But yet again, I was surprised by you; being so open-minded, kissing me back, being willing to try. It was more then I'd dared hope for, more than I had planned for."

He placed her brush down beside the tray still on the nightstand. "All done. Let's get dressed and outside before the sun gets too high in the sky."

All the new information that he'd just given her had her brain running a mile a minute. It was a great deal of information to get in such a short conversation. **He'd been as conflicted as me.** Even in retrospect, it was nice to know that she hadn't been alone in that regard. She got dressed on autopilot in the outfit that he picked out. By the time they were both back on the first floor, sweaters and long pants topped with coats, Thea was actually curious about what awaited them outside that he was so eager for. **What could it be?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** So this chapter took forever, I admit, but I hope it was worth it for all of you.


	8. Chapter 08

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Season One AU] That island changed Oliver Queen, changed what he needed from life. Thea Queen didn't know what was going on with him, but she knew she needed to find out. He was a mystery that she was intent upon solving no matter what it took. But when she finally figures it out everything she has ever known will change. Is she ready for his reality?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes/Warnings:  
> \- Italicized words are emphasized words or flashback scenes.  
> \- Bolded words are Thea's thoughts.  
> \- As you may have guessed this is an AU _vaguely_ inspired by Fifty Shades Of Grey.
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of this author. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

If it were up to Thea, they wouldn't have left the bedroom for anything more than to eat and use the restroom for the rest of the day; hell, maybe even the whole weekend. Oliver, however, was quite insistent that they leave the cabin. So, she put on the clothes he set out for her and they walked down the stairs.

Whatever confusion she felt about why he was so determined to go outside on their first getaway together was quickly swept away as he opened the door. There on the ground, as far as the eye could see, was snow. At least an inch of powder covered the ground and to a born and raised Californian like Thea, it was pure magic. She made a small strangled noise in her throat and immediately bolted down the steps. Without the slightest hesitation, she flopped down on the first patch of perfect snow she could find and made a snow angel.

After providing her angel with the best wingspan possible, Thea realized that Oliver hadn't followed her off the porch. Raising her right hand to shield her eyes from the sun, Thea tilted her head so that she could see the porch. To her surprise, he had taken a couple steps backwards and held his cellphone above his head, the lens of which was angled to film her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, holding out her arms for him to grasp.

"Taking a home video of you."

"Why?"

"Because I've not seen a smile that carefree on your face in years and I want to keep it."

Several heartbeats later and Oliver was standing just out of reach of Thea's angel. His hands wrapped around each of her forearms and he pulled her to her feet. It was such a fast and fluid movement that she managed to jump just a little and land directly in front of Oliver. The toes of her shoes touched his own and her heels ever so slightly breached the bottom of the snow angel she had created.

"I smile all the time, Ollie." It was a valid objection in her opinion. What he couldn't know was that her smiles had faded and, only upon his return, had transformed once again into genuine expressions of happiness. Piling on to what were, no doubt, complex feelings regarding his misfortune would do both a disservice.

"Not like this," he insisted, as his hands brushed over her hair in short strokes, presumably attempting to remove the snowflakes. If that was his intention, he was fighting a futile battle; for every snowflake that he erased, another took its place. He was so somber that Thea felt an instinctual need to change his mood. There was no point in dwelling on the negative, not when they were surrounded by nature's powder. **There is only one thing to be done**. She knelt, pretending to fiddle with her shoes, scooped up some of the snow, and threw it in his face before he could see it coming.

Oliver sputtered in surprise as he quickly brushed the melting flakes from his face. "You are _so_ dead, Thea."

With war suitably declared, brother and sister spent the next half an hour trampling all over the front and backyards of the rental residence. Of course, their war had to wind down eventually. All the snow in their immediate area had either been thrown or trampled into the dirt below as they ran around. There was simply no snow to make weapons with anymore. Oliver was creeping closer, mud squishing beneath his shoes, armed with the last and biggest projectile of the battle. Something had to be done to keep him from winning. If not, she would never hear the end of it. So, as a last maneuver, Thea played dirty. **All is fair in love and war...**

As he came close enough to hit her with the final snowball, she allowed her legs to give out underneath her. The dying grass, mud, and mush that was once snow made a squishing sound when she sat down. "Ow!" She cried out in pain, making a grab for her ankle with slightly shaky hands, "I think I twisted my ankle. Ow! Stupid gopher hole."

Whether she was just that good of an actress or his brotherly instincts were just that sharp, her ruse had the desired effect. The snowball was abandoned in Oliver's haste to aid her. He crouched down on the ground in front of her, hands reaching for her supposedly injured ankle, when she popped up again with ease. It took no time at all for Oliver's look of concern to melt into one of protest; he opened his mouth to chastise her for faking him out and she reacted on impulse, leaning down quickly to kiss away the words.

As she pulled away, Thea whispered, "Catch me if you can," before running for the forest that surrounded their getaway.

The forest that encircled the back of their rented cabin was buzzing with life as she ran through them. She dodged low-hanging branches and jumped over bulging roots. Her heart raced in her chest while her ears listened intently for any sound of Oliver following behind her. She knew he would; she'd issued a challenge and he wasn't one to back down. Her footfalls were leaving ever so slight prints in the dusting of snow that had managed to make it through the dense tangle of treetops above her head, but she didn't concern herself with it. Oliver would find her no matter how stealthily she moved. All that truly mattered was the chase.

"Thea," He drew out the final syllable of her name, "Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

She ran around the trunk of a strong, old tree, letting her fingers drag across the harsh bark as she did so. **Does he think I'm going to fall for that? Not an idiot, Ollie** _._ Hearing the crack of a fallen branch near her, Thea ducked urgently into the hollow of a dying trunk.

"When I find you, Speedy," Oliver called, his voice cheerful, but with a note of steel underneath; it set her nerves alight with something she didn't understand. "You're going to regret this."

In a few seconds, his footsteps had faded away just enough for her to leave her hiding place and run deeper into the trees. For an hour, the siblings continued their game of hide and go seek. Thea's anticipation of being discovered was heightened with every close call. Oliver, it seemed, had picked up more than a change in sexual lifestyle on that island. He was diligent and methodical as he hunted for her and more than once he came close to catching her. She suspected he might purposefully have been missing her, but as the sun started its journey back toward the horizon, Thea realized the game was coming to its end.

Oliver realized it too. She moved between the trees, her heart pounding in her ears; Oliver was quite literally on her heels now as they raced through the forest in the direction of the cabin. He closed in on her within the space of a few seconds, grabbed her wrist and turned her around. His body pressed into her own, pinning her between his chest and the rough bark of a tree. "Got you."

"Yes, you did." She whispered, her heart racing for an entirely different reason then the chase she'd just given. His eyes were intense and she occurred to her suddenly that maybe she shouldn't have played this game with him. He looked wild, there was something in his blue eyes that was almost primal, and Thea felt a rush of arousal. Without completely understanding why, Thea was tempted to bare her neck to him. "What now?"

As Oliver picked her up and put her over his shoulder, she couldn't have stopped the giggles that left her lips. Nothing was funny, in fact, it was quite the opposite, but there was something about Oliver in these moments that made her feel like it was okay to be a giggling girl or whomever she wanted to be. He wasn't going to just up and leave her again. She was safe with him. It was a marvelous feeling.

By the time he put her back on her own two feet, they were standing in the living room, fireplace crackling behind his back, the glow of it outlining his frame in an orange hue. It was an image she would not soon forget.

"All mine." His voice was rough, but not from the exertion of the game they'd just played; no, his voice was raw for an entirely different reason and Thea felt her body tingle with excitement. **How did I not know I had such a possessiveness kink?** It was all too obvious to her now. His hands deftly stripped her of her outfit, perfectly executed with no flaws...except for one.

As he went to free her of his sweatshirt, he accidentally tugged on the string to tighten the neck of the garment. When she finally got free of the cotton prison, her hair was messed up and slightly staticy and her face was red from laughter. It was such a stupid thing, but as both siblings fell into laughter over the mishap, Thea found herself glad for it. Movie perfect moments were great; but she preferred reality where things got interrupted by silly accidents and yet the romance continued.

Thea leaned into him a little as soon as she was free of the borrowed sweatshirt and kissed him. It was nothing complex, just a simple, sweet, kiss, but it was enough to put them back on track. He wasted no time, devastating her of her shoes, pants, and shirt.

"What were you thinking," he started to ask as his fingers traced over her ribs and just under the wire in her bra, "playing such a game with me?" His hands locked around her sides and pulled her into his body. "Were you trying to test me, little sister?"

There was an edge to the question, like there were right and wrong answers, but Thea had no idea what those were. She hadn't thought it through. "I just...wanted to see what would happen." Not a lie technically, but also not quite the truth; it had been more like an instinct. Give him motivation and see how much he wanted her.

She felt, more than heard a low chuckle, reverberate through his body. "You wanted to see what would happen..."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Thea knew it was a dangerous thing to have said. Ollie was her Ollie, and she was never in danger from him, but he was also something else. Someone new she was just getting acquainted with. Yet, saying those words had been so thrilling. She didn't regret it. It had been so primal. She'd issued a challenge: catch me and I'm yours, and he'd done just that.

Feeling no fear, only an odd sense of power, Thea nodded, "I wanted to know how desperately you desired me."

A growl tore from his chest. He kissed her so ferociously that, by the time they separated, the world was tilting at a rather dangerous angle. **Holy crap.** "That's a dangerous game to play with me, Thea."

"Why?"

"Because you can't handle the depth of my answer, Speedy." He kissed her again, though this time it was softer, sweeter. There was more control in it. Thea still felt anchored when he finally pulled away. "My desire to possess you... it's indescribable." His hands slid up from her ribs to her face without any hesitation at all. "If I could find a way to justify it, I might just lock you away in a tower. Keep you all to myself forever."

**Suddenly, the tale of Rapunzel has a whole new spin.**

"Why?" The question was just a whisper, a mere breath on her lips, "why me? That's what I don't understand. You could have any woman you wanted."

He was silent for a moment; his blue eyes scrutinizing her face. His thumbs ran over her bottom lip before they met in the middle. A soft smile graced his mouth, even reaching his eyes. "Because you are you. There are an infinite number of reasons I could give you, Speedy, but the most complete answer I can give is just that."

There was a heartbeat where everything and everyone was still. Then Thea reached behind her back and undid the clasp on her bra. The pale peach material fell to the floor between their feet, but neither brother nor sister looked at it. Thea forced herself to look him in the eyes, despite her instinctual response to shy away from being seen and Oliver...he just looked at her. Just the feeling of being seen, being appreciated, in all her glory made Thea's skin break out in goosebumps. With Oliver just staring and no sound, except for the crackling fire in the fireplace, the youngest Queen felt the need to do something to break the stalemate that the moment had become.

She kicked her discarded clothes off to the side discreetly before she dropped to her knees at his feet. His breathing increased almost immediately and she couldn't resist using her words to rile him up. There was such immense pleasure out of getting him hot and bothered; it made her feel a perverse sense of accomplishment.

"I want to taste you." Thea teased as she reached for the button at the top of his jeans. It slipped through the eyelet without trouble. "I've never been big on giving head," she informed him conspiratorially, while her still slightly cold fingers grasped the tab on his zipper and started to pull it down. "but ever since I found out your secret, I can't stop thinking about it." Three teeth were separated now, but it was getting more difficult as the tab descended. The swelling underneath the denim certainly wasn't helping the matter. "What would you taste like? Feel like?" She turned her eyes upwards as she finally reached the bottom of the zipper. "I've imagined it, you know. Being on my knees like this, sucking on my big brother's cock as if it were our last moment together."

He groaned loudly and entirely uninhibited, the use of his title finally forcing him into action. His hands reached down and lifted his thickening length out of the cotton of his underwear. It was so engorged that when he let go, it stuck out almost completely straight.

Thea needed no instruction. She started with gentle, soft kisses to the mushroomed head and down the length. It was slow, methodical work and she could practically feel Oliver's urge to rush her on, but she had waited so long for this. She wanted to do it right and, unless he said otherwise, that was what she was going to do.

Her tongue darted out to sweep up the drop of precum glistening on the tip. Careful to first shield her teeth as best she could, lest she repeat the disaster of her first attempted blowjob, she wrapped her lips around the head. It took a couple of frantic seconds for her breathing to adjust, but she took slight comfort in the feeling of him in her mouth. Her tongue encircled the head as best as possible before sliding down him a few more inches. Deliberately, she allowed her teeth to close gently around him. In her experience, some guys liked a little teeth and some guys hated it; it only ever took a few seconds to figure out which type of guy she was with. Oliver was apparently the type that liked it, given that the blue vein on the underside of his cock pulsed.

She shielded her teeth again and began to truly get down to business. At first, she started off slow, gauging his reaction as best she could from her position. Seeing no overt signs of sensation overload, Thea began to suck with more intensity, her cheeks hollowing out some as her effort increased. Sure enough, it took mere seconds of that, and Oliver's hands were gripping her hair.

"Oh fuck, that's good," he groaned, his fingers tightening in her wild tresses, "such a good girl, such a good girl." As soon as he started to speak, Thea looked up at him from under her natural eyelashes.

The wetness she felt pooling between her legs, dampening the insides of her thighs, was the spark that started the fire. She began to hum softly, the sound a little muffled due to the obstruction in her mouth. The vibrations were what counted and without fail, the sensation stole all of Oliver's self-control from him. He began to thrust into her mouth without repentance and Thea struggled to keep her efforts going as his full length pounded her throat. It was more difficult than she expected, but it wasn't insurmountable.

Desperate to make him orgasm before he bruised the back of her throat, Thea added her teeth to the humming and suction. Not five seconds after she pulled out almost all the stops, his pleasure was pouring down her throat. It felt weird, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

A few seconds more and Oliver was gently sliding himself out of her mouth. She worked her jaw cautiously to make sure she hadn't accidentally overdone anything. Oliver's hands slowly released her hair and slid around to cover the hand she'd placed on her jaw. Without a word, he directed her to stand with that single hand. Her legs were wobbly, with the pins and needles feeling of being asleep, but she managed to stay upright once she was standing.

His voice was positively seductive as he asked, "How did you like your first taste, little sister?" He drifted closer and closer with each word until the very last was spoken against her own lips.

With him so very close, words spoken only for her, and firelight at his back, Thea was under his spell. Her brain was filled with a pleasant little hum as she stared at him. **What is he doing to me?** Thea didn't have the energy to care however. All she could do was focus on him. His hand cupping her jaw with a gentle firmness. His lips touching hers ever so slightly. His eyes blue and intense, focused solely on her. It was than she realized he was waiting on an answer.

"Delicious." The single word tumbled out of her mouth without any actual thought behind it.

He grinned then, all wicked intention, and Thea practically had to cross her eyes to see it. **What's he thinking?** It was a question that entered her mind quite frequently of late. She didn't have a chance to ask though; he pressed his lips against hers, one hand over top her own on her jaw and the other on her hip, pinning her body to his. With her mind, as unfocused as it was now, Thea was grateful for the support.

The intensity of the kiss made sure to empty her brain of any remaining thoughts that weren't about Oliver. Suddenly, he was the only thing in the world. His lips ever so slightly chapped, a small indentation was in his bottom lip presumably made while she had her lips around his cock. His hands were firm, but not painfully so. It was as if he knew that she was lost in the moment and was attempting to make sure she stayed standing. His natural scent, a touch of something spicy atop the slight smell of pine trees, was overlain by a spray of his cologne, made specifically for him by a signature scent designer, and sprinkled with fresh snow. It was intoxicating. _He_ was intoxicating.

"Good," he responded when the need for oxygen overthrew their desire to kiss. "It won't be your last taste, Speedy."

With his hands still on her jaw and hip, Oliver led her backwards with slow calculated steps. Right before the backs of her thighs would've made contact with the fabric of the couch, he turned them around so that he was the one who ended up seated upon the piece of furniture. He led her ever so gently forward until she was knelt over his lap with her knees on both sides of his hips, and his hand slid down from her jaw to enclose around her neck.

"What-" The word fell from her lips as a small spike of fear registered in her brain. His hand just stayed there.

Oliver looked at her, eyes searching her face, "Are you scared of me, little sister?"

"No."

"What are your words?"

Thea rolled her eyes, "Ollie, I know them. Why do you always ask me that?"

"Because it's important that you know them, that you can recall them in the heat of the moment. I can't leave that to chance, Thea." Oliver explained with a small sigh, brushing the edge of her jaw with the tip of his index finger in the process. "I can't risk hurting you…not ever."

Thea understood where he was coming from logically, but at the same time it was frustrating to be required to provide the same words every time they were about to be intimate. Still, she couldn't deny him; she wished that she could sometimes. "Red, yellow, green. Do you want their meanings as well?"

"Are you giving me sass, Speedy?" It was a rhetorical question, which as she was noticing, he asked quite often when he let his dominant side out. It was a curious fact that she filed away for later consideration. This weekend away was giving her much to think about. "You might want to be careful, little sister. Attitude like that will put you over my knee for a spanking."

Something in Thea's brain lit up at the word, 'spanking.' The topic had been mentioned when they were going over their limits that morning, but only briefly. They hadn't discussed it at length or anything; she wasn't even sure that he'd registered it, given that they'd ended up with a complex three-column list.

Thea, on the other hand, had given the subject a great deal of thought. When she'd done her research on the topic of domination before she confronted him on it, 'spanking' had come up almost instantly and reappeared frequently. It had intrigued her on a level that she hadn't even been aware that she possessed.

In that moment, the idea of Oliver spanking her, bending her over his knee, was making her light-headed. He must have seen something in her face, he was unnervingly good at that, because a pleased grin played at his lips. Sometimes she hated that he could read her so well; it wasn't fair.

The hand upon her hip left her skin, but it was only seconds before he was holding up a wrapped condom for her view. The sight of it made her chuckle.

"Where did you hide that?" He was nude, his clothes were scattered far behind them, and his hands had been empty when he touched her.

He managed to hold a serious face for all of five seconds before he too began to chuckle, "I hid it in the couch when I started the fire. You were busy getting dressed to go outside."

Thea didn't know whether she should be offended by the presumptuous actions of her brother. She decided to joke with him instead, "are you calling me easy, Ollie?"

"Never." He answered quickly, "You are the most complicated woman I've ever met, Thea."

Acting solely on desire, the youngest Queen leaned forward, bridging the gap between them to kiss him gently. No one had ever said such nice things about her in such a sincere way before. He responded to the kiss in kind, the hand on her throat sliding up to cup her jaw softly. They remained in the gentle touch for a few minutes, letting themselves just exist together.

When Thea leaned back slowly and just looked at him, his face was cast in her shadow and the orange light of the fire was blocked from illuminating his features by her body. The exertion of their snow-inspired adventures caused his skin to glisten ever so slightly and his blue eyes were intense as he looked up at her. Her heart clenched at the sight; he was beautiful, so fucking beautiful.

"God, I-" Thea cut off her own sentence before she could say anything that couldn't be taken back. Needing to distract both of them from her incomplete statement, she grabbed the condom from him and used her teeth to tear the foil open. She wrapped her hand around his softening length and gave him several long strokes before rolling the condom onto him. His left hand returned to her hip without hesitation and his right returned to wrap ever so gently around her throat.

From there everything got kind of sweaty and blurry. Unlike their lovemaking from the night before, this interaction was more…vigorous. With each thrust of his hips and each naughty word whispered in her ear, the more Thea lost herself in the sensations. Every nerve ending was alight with pleasure as she rode him. He dictated her every movement from beneath her body, never once letting his control of their intimacy slip for a single second. She'd never ridden a man from this angle before.

"Cum for me, Thea," His voice was a rough order in her ear and complying wasn't exactly a chore. Her body trembled as she came apart, her juices coating his length as pleasure washed over her mind. His hand closed ever so slightly tighter around her neck as he thrust harder, needing a few more motions to achieve his own release.

By the time that Thea was once again cognizant enough to retain more complete memories, Oliver had maneuvered the two of them so that he was laying on the couch on his back and she was on top of him. Her ear came to rest over his heart and she listened to its strong, steady beat. "You doing okay, Thea?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured, "why?"

"Just making sure." With that settled, the two of them drifted drowsily, considering the flickering flames of the dying fire. In less than five minutes, both Oliver and Thea were napping peacefully, sated and happy together.

* * *

When Thea blinked her eyes open slowly, the sun was just barely skirting the horizon outside of the windows and the fire had gone cold. She was, however, surprised to find herself on the couch alone with a loose knit, scratchy blanket covering her from her feet to her shoulders. **How long have I been asleep?**

"Ollie?" Her voice was croaky as she called out for her missing brother. She cleared her throat before trying again, "Ollie?" No answer came.

More curious than concerned, Thea pulled the blanket, that had mysteriously appeared, tight to her body, like one would with a towel after a shower, as she stood. It was just the two of them in the cabin, of course, but there was always a possibility of someone happening by. She didn't want to chance anyone inadvertently getting a peep show. With the blanket secured in one fist, Thea headed towards the dining room, in reverse of the way that they had re-entered the cabin earlier. Her clothes remained scattered about and, for the briefest of seconds, she debated donning her outfit again. She found herself to be oddly okay with walking around in a blanket when only Oliver might happen upon her.

As she turned in the direction of the kitchen, she did note that while most of his clothes remained where they had been abandoned in their haste, Oliver's jeans were not on the hardwood. **At least I know he's still here**. He was too self-conscious about his scars, unnecessarily so from her prospective, to go wandering around shirtless.

"Ollie?" She called out again as she made her way into the kitchen. There was a pot simmering on the stovetop and when she checked, she confirmed that it was soup inside. Two empty cans sat on the counter beside the stove, confirming that it was chunky chicken noodle being heated in the pot. Absentmindedly, she tossed the empty tin containers into the trashcan.

With a sigh, she decided to continue searching the bottom floor of the cabin for her missing brother. She walked through the kitchen and into an adjacent room that she'd never paid attention to before. The door opened noiselessly as she entered and the sound of bubbling water attracted her attention. Her eyes were instantly drawn toward the noise and she found a large hot tub in the center of the room.

The bubbling water called out to her like a siren song to a lonely sailor and she approached the large tub without a thought. She'd never been a big fan of swimming, but hot tubs didn't count. They were relaxing. She was pleased to discover, as she stuck her fingers in the bubbling surface that the water was quickly warming to the right temperature and smelled vaguely like lavender.

"You aren't supposed to be here yet," the sound of Oliver's voice surprised Thea for some reason and caused her to jump, spraying water from the hot tub across the floor as she turned to face him.

"When am I supposed to be here then?" She inquired, wiping her wet hand on the blanket she held around herself. "If I could just see the schedule beforehand..."

He clicked his tongue against his teeth as he came up to her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist, "Such a snarky little thing."

"I am not little."

His lips brushed her cheek in apology, "Out, little sister."

Shock etched itself on her features. Thea wasn't used to being dismissed. She was Thea Queen; she didn't _get_ dismissed. "What? Ollie…"

"I mean it, Thea. Out." He pulled back from and look down at her sternly. His eyes were dark, like the liquid of a turbulent sea, and she recognized the meaning of that gaze. He was in his dominant mode again. "I don't like to repeat myself, little sister."

Some instinctive part of her wanted to back away, apologize for having done wrong by him. **Will it always feel this…surprising to react this way?** Thea hoped she'd get used to feeling so…submissive. It felt so foreign, so alien, to give control over to anyone else, but this was Oliver. He was her exception, always.

The fierce, stormy look melted away within seconds, "You weren't supposed to see this yet…it's not ready."

Thea turned, spinning on her heel gracefully, ready to obey him on this one thing. There was no point in not doing so; it was such a simple request and she figured it might be a little test of her resolve in this dynamic of theirs. She could do this. She could obey him in this small moment of time.

Before she could get more than half a step away though, his hand shot out, grasped her elbow and turned her back to face him. His thumb swept the inside of her elbow twice before he spoke again, "Go, spoon out the soup and set the table. I'll be out in a few minutes, okay?"

With that said, he released his physical hold on her and allowed her to leave the room unhindered. Thea stopped after closing the door to the side room, taking a ragged breath. She didn't know why, but she felt weirdly electrified. His instructions bounced around her head and he wasn't wrong, the soup would burn if it was left on the stovetop for too long, but there was something she needed to do first. Shuffling back to the living room, Thea redressed in her damp clothing. She didn't look as neatly put together as she had when she'd gotten ready that morning, but it would do. She scooped his shirt off the floor as she exited the room.

By the time that she was done dishing out the bagged salad that she found in the crisper, spooning the canned soup from the pot on the stove, and setting the table, Oliver was indeed exiting the other room.

His voice was low in her ear, "Good girl. I am disappointed that you got dressed, though."

She chuckled softly, "Only a fool would eat hot soup naked."

He was silent for a few seconds, probably considering her observation, "That's a good point."

"I _only_ make good points." Thea reached forward, bending at her waist, and grabbed his shirt off the back of his chair. She handed it to him over her shoulder. "I also think ahead. Occasionally."

"Thanks, Speedy." He took the shirt from her with one hand while his other one guided her, by the small of her back, into the nearest chair at the table. Much like the night before, the brother and sister engaged in casual small talk while they ate dinner. Yet, Thea couldn't truly take her mind off the room to the side of the kitchen. She hadn't seen much in the few seconds before he kicked her out, but it had been enough to ignite her imagination. It was so distracting that she had no recollection of the two of them doing the dishes, but suddenly Thea was putting the dishtowel down on the countertop and her fingers were beginning to prune.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Ollie."

"Good."

"Are you ready to play, little sister?" He reached out and took her hand. His fingers interlaced with her own and started to pull her towards what she had dubbed as 'the hot tub room.' Her heart was fluttering in her chest as he opened the door and turned her towards the corner in which he'd been standing earlier. The rope she'd spotted so briefly before was strung through two of the wide wood beams in the ceiling and she followed the line back to a wide iron fixture, like she'd seen in old movies around which the wide metal links of chandeliers were wrapped to secure the lighting. With the way that the ceiling was constructed there was no way that a chandelier was ever hung in that room though. **So why…**

Thea turned her head a little to look at Oliver, "How did you say you found this cabin again, Ollie?"

His eyes were gleaming with delight as he met her gaze. There was almost a pride in his voice as he replied, "One of my _acquaintances_ recommended this place for a private getaway." That made quite a few things that, if she had stopped to give them some thought, make sense. For one thing, it explained why the keys to the place had been left in the mailbox as opposed to someone meeting them when they arrived.

He brought both of them a few mere inches from the length of rope that dangled from the ceiling. His fingers released her own and Thea felt oddly bereft from the loss of his guidance, but then she was distracted by him pulling her t-shirt and jeans off. Then he walked behind her and his palms cupped her elbows gently and moved her forearms up so they were held out in front of her. "Keep your arms just like that."

She felt awkward standing in just her bra and holding her arms out like an extra in a bad zombie movie. Oliver moved out of her eye-line and Thea had to resist the urge to follow him with her eyes; she was sure he wouldn't appreciate that so she just stood there and listened to the sounds of him moving around. After a minute or two of him doing whatever it was that he was doing, Oliver came back around in front of her, handcuffs in his hands.

"What are your safe words, Thea?"

"Red, yellow, and green…" A small smile graced his lips with a nod of approval as he closed the cuffs around her wrists.

"Normally I'd just use the rope for this, but," he reached up and grabbed the rope where it descended towards the floor. He tied it around the metal links between the bracelets and tightened it. "We can't risk you coming home, from a weekend alone with me, with rope burns around your wrists, can we?"

Thea hadn't even thought of that. "No, we can't."

He walked around her again, disappearing from her view, and after a couple of seconds, the rope was pulled tight. It kept ascending until Thea was left standing on the balls of her feet with her hands straight above her head. It wasn't the most comfortable position that Thea had ever found herself in, but it wasn't unbearable either, just unusual.

"How does that feel? Okay?"

"It's fine."

"Good," His footfalls were almost imperceptible as he walked back towards her. When he came into her limited view again, he was shirtless. "I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable during our playtime." He paused, seeming to think better of his statement, "unless discomfort is necessary."

Thea barely heard his words. Her focus was on the riding crop that he was now holding in his right hand. She was very familiar with the tool, thanks to her days as a horseback rider, and both her internet research and the books he had her read clearly explained its use in this situation. Knowing something and seeing it in front of her where two entirely different things.

The swatch of leather hitting his palm gently startled Thea out of her thoughts. "Pay attention, little sister. Ignorance isn't bliss when it comes to playtime."

"Yes, Ollie."

He froze, "What did you just say to me?"

"Y-Yes, big brother."

He held up two fingers and Thea cringed. Two days into their new arrangement and already she had two strikes against her. Oliver was silent for another moment or two before he spoke again.

"As I was saying, you know what this is so I don't have to explain that to you and, if you did all of your reading as you said you did," Thea had to literally bite down on her tongue to stop herself from interjecting that she did in fact read the assigned material and even in the order that he insisted upon. She very much doubted that he'd appreciate being interrupted and she already had two strikes. "then you have an inkling of what it can be used for in these situations. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, big brother."

A predatory smile graced his lips at her quick and correct response. "Good girl. What you don't know from either your readings, or your riding, is what a whip _feels_ like." As she watched, he moved the whip so that the swatch of brown leather at the top of it glided across the width of his palm. Back and forth. Back and forth. "That is where we'll start."

With that said, Oliver moved slowly around her right side. Her body was so hyper aware of everything in that moment that she could practically feel him come to a stop behind her. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Thea craned her neck, trying to see what he was doing. Oliver didn't miss a thing, though.

"Nuh uh, that's cheating." He reached out with his left hand and used his fingers to turn her face back towards the hot tub. "Just relax, Speedy. You'll enjoy this, I promise."

His fingers fell from her cheek to the column of her throat, from her neck to her shoulder and across her shoulder blades to rest on the base of her neck. "You have such beautiful skin, little sister." His fingertips dragged slowly down her spine, making her flesh break out in goosebumps. "Unblemished and pale, but not too much so."

The descent of his fingers was hindered by her bra clasp and it suddenly occurred to her why he chose this particular bra out of the few that she'd packed. The pale peach lace was strapless so that all he had to do was undo the clasp and off it would come. **He's been planning this since after breakfast**. With the ease of a man well practiced, Oliver managed to undo all four hooks on the clasp in one swift motion. She would've been impressed if it wasn't a reminder that he'd learned such skills with other women. It sparked an emotion in her that she wasn't entirely comfortable acknowledging.

Once the hooks were undone, all he had to do was nudge the cups off the sides of her breasts with his knuckles, the handle of the riding crop brushing her flesh as he did so. The rough texture of the black electrical tape that covered the handle was a weird feeling against her sensitive skin. Her nipples pebbled slightly without the protection of her bra to keep the cool air of the room at bay.

Oliver's hands fell away and every instinct that Thea possessed demanded she turn around to see what he was doing. Several minutes passed in complete silence and Thea grew nervous. Her skin began to prickle, waiting for him to touch her, to do something. Being kept waiting, not knowing what he was doing, made her uneasy.

Then, in the blink of an eye, there was the slight touch of something, presumably the leather from the whip, resting between her shoulder blades. A shiver ran down her spine and he chased it with the swatch of leather. Just before she could overthink anything, the slight weight left her skin and then suddenly, it smacked her just a few inches to the right of her spine. There was a small sting of pain, but it wasn't as if it hurt.

Oliver, however, needed verbal confirmation of that fact. "What's your color now?"

Her voice didn't falter when she replied, "Green, big brother."

"Good." She felt his palm replace the leather, like a warm balm she hadn't known that she needed until it was applied. "See, Speedy? It's not all about pain. You've nothing to fear from me or the whip."

"I was never afraid. Of you or the whip."

"You're sure?" He moved around her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his skin, "It's not a sign of weakness to be wary of something unfamiliar, you know that, right?"

He held the handle of the whip loosely at his side when he came to a stop in front of her again. With a fluid arch of his wrist, he brought the small piece of leather up to her navel. He moved it in a close circle around her belly button before sliding it upwards to just below her breasts. "I'm sure, big brother."

The swatch moved a little, following the inside curve of her breast, "Do you remember this morning?"

It was a question that came from nowhere and, for a second, Thea was jarred from the moment. "Yes. Why?"

He held up a single finger in front of her face again, "And do you remember me saying we'd be discussing something later?"

She nodded, torn between worry that he was about to dump her and awareness of the stitches in the leather as it traced over her collarbone. "Then you must remember taking a tone with me this morning…"

He disappeared from her sight again and, without knowing why, Thea took a shaky breath; she felt nervous, on edge. Thea wasn't an anxious person. She'd always been confident, self-assured, but this thing they were doing, it forced the youngest Queen into unfamiliar territory and she didn't know how to deal with that.

"Is it nice to take a tone with someone, little sister?"

"Um, sometimes?"

"Wrong." He answered in a clipped tone and the swatch smacked a few inches left of her spine. "It is impolite to take a tone with me…especially when I was only trying to bring you pleasure."

Again, the leather struck her harder this time to illustrate his point. "You have to learn better behavior, Thea, and I," it swept across her lower back slowly, "will gladly teach you."

His chest pressed up against her back, a solid weight behind her, as his lips came to rest next to her ear. "So, here's what's going to happen now, little sister… I am going to punish you, using this whip five times and, after each one, you're going to say the following sentence: 'I will not take a tone with my big brother.' Tell me, do you understand, Thea?"

A blush burned at her cheeks. The mere notion of saying that particular sentence aloud, like an errant child having to write on the chalkboard after being caught chewing gum in class, was embarrassing, but he wasn't asking her permission. He was telling her. She had no choice in the matter. That, in and of itself, was surprisingly hot. "Yes, big brother, I understand."

"Good. Very good." With those encouraging words, Oliver stepped away. She was left feeling chilled and oddly alone. Thea counted the seconds in her own heartbeats, waiting for Oliver to do something. Anything.

Then suddenly, he struck her. The patch of leather connected with her right shoulder blade, it hurt, but not as much as it could have.

"One," he counted aloud.

"I will not take a tone with my big brother." Embarrassment forced her to drop her eyes to her feet as she parroted the sentence back.

"Good," Oliver praised softly, "You take instruction very well. I'm surprised." Instinctively, Thea wanted to take offense at his praise, he made her sound like a wayward puppy, but talking back to him would defeat the point he was trying to make.

As if sensing her inner struggle, he molded himself to her body again. His lips swept over the back of her neck as light as the brush of a butterfly's wing. A soft, breathy sigh escaped her.

He stepped back and once more he brought the whip down, along the curve of her hip. The kiss of the leather was slightly more intense on this second strike. It didn't hurt; no, it seemed that with each touch of the whip to her skin, the juncture between her legs was growing warm and wet. Thea could scarcely believe that it was possible that she was getting so turned on by being punished. Before Oliver came home, it hadn't even occurred to her that she might have these inclinations and now…

"Two."

"I will not take a tone with my big brother."

Two more slaps of the whip, twice more she was made to echo the sentence as instructed, and they were down to one. Oliver walked around her, making a small circle around her body a couple of times. Thea squirmed as much as she could in her bound state. **What's he looking for? What's he waiting for?**

"Color?"

"Green," she quickly tacked on his title as his eyes narrowed in warning, "big brother."

The whip with its heavy black handle and lengthy stick that connected to the leather was an ever-present feature weighing in his hand. The sight of him, holding it and looking rather satisfied, did something to her. Something that Thea couldn't quite rationalize.

Finally, he came to a stop in front of her, just mere inches from her skin. She could feel his warm breath sweeping over her face as he exhaled. His free hand came up and cupped her face, his thumb brushing over the apple of her cheek slowly. "You're doing so well, little sister. I'm so proud of you."

Oliver spoke so earnestly, and his eyes were shining with such sincerity, that Thea could not doubt his claims. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his lips lingering there for a few seconds longer than necessary before he stood straight again. "Are you ready for the last of your five, little sister?"

It wasn't truly a question, but Thea felt compelled to answer him anyway, "Yes, big brother."

"Such a good girl." Instead of immediately circling back around her, as Thea expected he would, his hand slid off her cheek and gently closed her eyes.

Thea strained her ears trying to hear any little sounds his movements made, but there was nothing to tip her off. Just silence. Her fingers curled inwards and the slight change in angles caused the handcuffs to bite into her wrists a little more. **The waiting's the worst!** Then suddenly Thea felt the impact of the leather swatch again, but not on her back as she expected. No, the leather smacked her, gently but firmly, between her legs. Thea jumped, the handcuffs and rope keeping her from moving too much.

"Oh!" Her eyes opened in surprise as the word tumbled out of her mouth. Oliver was watching her reaction. The unexpected touch of the leather against her sex sparked a fire in her that spread throughout her whole body.

"Five."

"I will not take a tone with my big brother."

With that final syllable, Oliver dropped the whip unceremoniously and moved into her body again. Silently, he fell to his knees in front of her and his hands gripped her hips firmly. His hand slid down her leg to cup the back of her calf and he hooked her knee over his shoulder. The stubble on his right cheek scrapped lightly over the sensitive flesh of her thigh. Oliver nuzzled his nose into her mound softly. She felt him take a deep breath against her sex causing Thea to flush a little. Her fingernails bit into her palms as she fought not to squirm.

"Mmm," He murmured, "you smell delicious, Speedy." He followed his statement by dragging his tongue over one of her swollen outer cunt lips and then the other, deliberately ignoring her aching inner core **.** It was the lightest of touches and a guttural sound tore from her throat. The noise drove Oliver forward in his endeavor. his tongue slipped between her folds before making this swishing swirling motion that caused Thea cry out in delight. His tongue ran over the length of her pussy before he sucked her clit in his mouth. His hot tongue seemed to be everywhere at once, licking her slowly one minute and then teasing her clit lightly the next.

Thea felt her orgasm coming, it tightened like a wire being pulled taunt in her lower stomach. She could feel the snap approaching and knew she had only seconds to warn Oliver, "I…Oliver, I'm going to-"

While she knew that Oliver had to have heard her warning, he didn't even hesitate. He redoubled his efforts, making sure that he could drink her up as she came apart. Just before Thea fell over the sharp edge of pleasure, she felt two of his fingers slip inside her depths. It was the last little something she needed to trigger her release. His name was on her lips as pleasure crested over her.

When her orgasm finally began to wane, Thea lowered her eyes to see Oliver still on his knees before her. He was looking up at her, his mouth and chin glistening, and his eyes shone with an emotion that she lacked a name for. He made such a striking image in that moment. Sluggishly, as if his lower limbs had fallen asleep, Oliver stood once more. It was only when he did so that Thea became aware that her shoulders were aching some and her hands were beginning to tingle. Before she could even open her mouth to say anything, Oliver was reaching above her head and undoing the knot that surrounded the links between the cuffs.

Unprepared for the effects of being held aloft for so long, Thea stumbled as she was released from her bindings. Oliver was quick to catch her, though, swinging her up into his arms bridal style without missing a beat. Thea knew that she should probably protest, but she couldn't find it in her to say anything. Instead, she just let her head fall against his chest and take comfort in him.

"How are you feeling, Thea?" The question was spoken so softly that she almost didn't hear it over the sound of his strong heartbeat. He shifted her weight before he pressed a small kiss to her forehead.

"I'm fine, Ollie. How are you?"

A yawn preceded his answer, "I'm wonderful. Did I hurt you?"

"No. Not at all." Thea assured softly, "You worry too much."

"I worry just enough, thank you." He came to a stop next to the bubbling hot tub. "I'm going to put you down now, Speedy. I'll unlock the handcuffs and then you're going to get in. Do you understand?"

The eighteen-year-old nodded, "Yes, big brother."

With that confirmation, he set her gently upon her feet again, though his hands lingered for a few seconds more. Thea turned her wrists so that they were face up and waited patiently for him to fish the key out of the front pocket of his jeans. Oliver's thumbs brushed lightly over the faint blue lines of the veins under her skin as the key slid into the lock. The click of the handcuffs opening was loud in Thea's ears and she was weirdly hypnotized as his fingers pulled the silver bracelets all the way open. He lifted the metal from her wrists and tossed them vaguely in the direction that they'd just come from. They clanged loudly as they hit the floor, but Thea barely noticed.

She was driven to distraction by the sight of her older brother beginning to remove his jeans. He caught her looking and tossed her a small, knowing smile, before he said, "Get in, little sister. I don't want to have to punish you again so soon."

The glint in his eyes declared that he had no problems with the idea. Thea shivered slightly and scrambled into the bubbling water immediately. While she'd found surprising pleasure in the act of being punished by him, Thea wasn't up for another go of it so soon. Instead, she simply relaxed in the delightfully warm water and watched under lidded eyes as Oliver completely stripped himself of his jeans. She couldn't have looked away even if she wanted to do so. He was a handsome man and always had been. Now, though, she could appreciate his beauty. No longer was it something she had to pretend that she didn't notice.

As he stepped into the hot tub beside her, the water rose to accommodate him. Once seated, he reached over, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. She was positioned so that her left side was pressed against his chest and her feet came to rest upon the seat beside Oliver's thighs. For a moment, they just sat there together, soaking in the warm water and relaxing.

"You're sure you're alright?" His words were a gentle whisper in her ear. "There wasn't anything that you didn't like?"

Thea cuddled into him, letting her lips brush his collarbone in feather light kisses. "Ollie, if I hadn't liked anything I would have used my safe word. That's what it's for, after all."

He chuckled, "Okay, Miss smarty pants."

"Does this mean my two strikes are forgiven?"

Oliver leaned back into the edge of the tub, looking down at her face in the process, "What? What're you talking about?"

"You know the two strikes," Thea explained, holding up two fingers like he had before, "Three strikes and I'm out."

"Three strikes and you're out?" Oliver echoed before a delighted laugh tumbled out of his lips, "Thea, sweet Thea. No. Those weren't strikes. There's no three-strikes-you're out." He leaned forward slightly and brushed his lips over her forehead. It was then he took notice of the shine in her eyes. "Oh, Speedy," he whispered, tilting her head up a bit, "have you been worrying about this all day?"

Thea nodded softly.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart. I was just trying to note things to bring up later." He pulled her into his body again, his fingers carding her hair, "There's nothing that could make me give up on you, okay? You're stuck with me, little sister."

For a few minutes, the duo fell into companionable silence again, just enjoying their time together. Thea's mind was as blissfully quiet. She was quite contented in the moment. It was a novel experience.

"Ollie," she said quietly, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

She pulled back slightly so that she could look up at his face as she asked, "So you told me why I need this and the reason that you want this, but you never told me what started it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you didn't always need this dynamic, did you? So, what brought all this on?"

The eldest Queen sighed heavily, "Well, first you should know I lied. When that boat found me on the island, I told them I was alone, but I hadn't always been…"

_Their structure was holding strong in the fierce winds of the night as the storm descended around them. Already it had been hours since the dark clouds had rolled in and still there seemed to be no end in sight. Oliver sighed as the silence in the confined space began to grate on his nerves._

" _Did I ever tell you about the time that I punched out the paparazzi who-?"_

_Slade's voice cut him off mercilessly, "Yes, kid. Several times."_

_Oliver's eyes narrowed. He wasn't fond of being judged. "Well, let's see you try to come up with a topic we haven't already covered." It was a side effect of spending so much time together. Eventually they both ran out of sharable stories._

_Shado shifted in her sleep, her clothes rustling as she moved, and Oliver saw Slade's eyes immediately slide over to her. He knew better than to bring up Slade's rather obvious infatuation with their female companion. Opening that Pandora's box would not end well for anybody involved. "Don't worry, you won't wake her. She's been going nonstop for days. She needs sleep right now, more than she needs to be alert."_

_Slade's eyes darted from Shado's face to Oliver as if worried he might have been caught looking a little too long. "Fine, you want a new story?"_

_The tone of Slade's voice was a challenge, but the Queen heir wasn't one to back down. It was why he'd gotten into the fight with the paparazzi in the first place. At least, he knew that this story, whatever its subject, would be something new. "Yes."_

_"Then I'll tell you how I met my wife"_

_"Really? You're going to 'How I Met Your Mother' me?"_

_"What?"_

_Oliver realized that was probably a pop-culture reference that his acquaintance didn't understand. "Never mind, go on."_

_Slade gave him a confused look and slid a little closer so that he wouldn't risk waking the woman sleeping behind Oliver. "Her name was Adeline Kane and she was barely out of her teens when I met her. We were both in the military and she actually trained me." A smile turned the corners of his lips upward. It was such a rarity for Slade to speak of something that mattered to him that Oliver was utterly enraptured by the tale._

" _She was such a…vibrant, unique woman. I couldn't help falling for her; it just happened. When she told me that she returned my feelings, I was amazed. How could a woman like her love me? Who am I to earn such emotions? It was two months into our relationship that she told me she needed something more."_

_Oliver felt for his mentor. Everyone knew what it meant when a woman said she needed something more. It implied that the other person in the relationship wasn't enough. It certainly wasn't a good sign for Slade. "What did she want? An open relationship? A threesome?"_

_"No, no, nothing like that," Slade said, "she wanted me to dominate her."_

_As the older man got around to the point of his story, Oliver was shocked. Guys talked about what happened leading up to sex with one-night stands if they were drunk enough, but rarely if ever did they discuss the actual sex part…especially if that woman in the story was someone's wife. "Should you be telling me this story?"_

_Slade chuckled, "Chickening out on me, kid?"_

_"No," Oliver replied defensively, "it's just that this isn't polite conversation."_

_"Polite conversation?" Slade echoed in a skeptical tone, "could you sound more like a rich boy? Besides, you said it yourself, Oliver, we've already covered most other conversation topics. We're running out of polite conversations to have."_

_When the former playboy said nothing in response, Slade continued his story, "At first I wasn't sure. I had never done anything like that before. I didn't even know anything about it. She had to teach me, just like she taught me everything else that mattered. I wasn't sure that being a Dominant was for me, but Adeline said she needed it and I loved her enough to try."_

_Despite himself Oliver asked, "How did it go?"_

_"It was amazing. I didn't think I was going to enjoy it, but it was exhilarating." Slade's eyes were shining with an emotion that Oliver had never seen the older man display before. "Addy was usually such a strong woman, not bowing to anyone, but in the bedroom, she begged for me. She called me Master and knelt before me."_

Oliver ran his hands over Thea's skin lightly, an absentminded gesture, as he related the tale to his sister. "After that night, Slade held nothing back. Every time we needed a distracting conversation and it was just us, he'd tell me about his kinky sex life with his wife…in excruciating detail."

Unconsciously Thea pulled a disgusted face, "Ugh, who talks about that stuff?"

"I know. I felt weird about it at first too, but after a while," Oliver shrugged idly, "I just got used to his lack of boundaries."

Thea cuddled into him a little bit more. The warm, bubbling water and Oliver's gentle motions were making Thea sleepy, but she fought valiantly to hear the point of her big brother's story.

The ever-vigilant Oliver noticed her sluggish blinking and cut to the chase. "To make a long story short. The more he talked, the more his stories got in my head and the longer I was stuck on that island, the appeal of such a relationship increased. By the time I was in Starling City again, I _needed_ the control of being a Dominant."

Thea yawned, "So he put all of this in your head? This Slade Wilson guy?"

Oliver nodded. "Alright, you, I think we've been in this hot tub long enough. It's time to get you to bed for the night."

"I'm not a child, Ollie." Thea protested weakly, "I don't need to be told when it's time for bed."

"Yeah, yeah," Oliver agreed absentmindedly, standing up in the slightly perfumed water. He swung Thea up into his arms once more before stepping out of the tub. It occurred to Thea then, as the cooler air of the room met her wet skin, that they had no towels.

The lack of anything to dry them didn't hinder Oliver at all. He didn't even hesitate to walk buck naked out of the room, through the kitchen, and out into the living room with Thea in his arms. While he seemed to have no qualms about his nudity, Thea wasn't so free with her body. After all, the curtains on the living room windows were pulled back, allowing them a marvelous view of the nature outside, but it also gave anyone who might happen by quite the view as well.

"Ollie," she whispered, "the windows…"

A chuckle answered her concerns, "Don't worry, little sister. We're only passing through."

Even as he spoke, they were starting up the staircase to the second floor. He strode with purpose towards their chosen bedroom. Oliver sat her down on the side of the bed, which was still unmade from when they'd left it that morning, and once his arms were no longer burdened with her weight, he pulled the sheets and comforter up around her.

Thea frowned softly up at him, "Aren't you coming to bed too?"

"In a little while," Oliver assured her, his fingers coming up to push loose strands of hair out of her eyes. "I'm just going to go back downstairs to turn off the hot tub, make sure the fire's completely dead, and all the doors and windows are locked. I'll be back before you know it."

There was no arguing with that. Safety was important, especially up in the mountains like they were. Thea was reluctant, however, to let him do those things alone. **The mountain air is making me paranoid** , Thea thought, **we aren't in The Strangers**.

She laid down, snuggling into her side of the bed and watched him back through the bedroom, still unashamed about his lack of clothing. She listened to his footfalls on the stairs and tried to stay conscious until he came back, but all the day's activities had exhausted her both physically and mentally. Sleep claimed her before Thea could even turn over onto her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**A/N:**_ If you liked this chapter, please review.


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